
aass. 
Book. 



SOME PIONEERS 



Washington County, Pa, 



A FAMILY HISTORY 



F. S. READER 



1902: 

Prbss of F. S. Reader & Son, 

new brighton, pa. 



'i. V' '■- 



p. 

Puol. 
4F'C3 



-S'^^n 



PREFACE. 



This family history centers iu one of the pioneer fami- 
lies of Washington county, Pa., Colonel William Wallace 
and Elizabeth Hopkins, his wife, who were born, reared 
and married in Montgomery county, Md., and built their 
home in the wilds of Western Pennsylvania. From this 
central point the history of the ancestors and descendants 
o" rAl the families connected with this couple in the United 
States is given, so far as it has been possible to secure the 
facts; and it is a typical history of the pioneers generally, 
who have built up the waste places and made them possible 
for human habitation. The ancestors of Ck)lonel Wallace 
were among the pioneers and early settlers of the territory 
now included in Montgomery county, Md. 

The facts for the compilation of this history, were 
obtained from the Court records of Prince George, Frederick, 
Montgomery and Anne Arundel counties, Md., and Wash- 
ington county. Pa.; Archives of Maryland, New Hampshire 
and Pennsylvania; Library of Congress; Col. T. H. S. Boyd's 
history of Montgomery county, Md.; Hon. Boyd Crumrine's 
and Alfred T. Creigh's histories, and Baer & Co's Com- 
memorative 'Biographical Record, of Washington county, 
Pa.; History of the Early Churches Washington county. 
Pa.; Virginia Genealogies by Rev. Horace E. Hayden; the 



Genealogical Collection of John H. Wallace. Esq.. New 
York: and .such family histories as could be secured. 

No material has been used without A'eritication by 
means of all sources of information that could be secured, 
and every family line and historical statement relating to 
the families mentioned, is believed to be accurate and 
reliable. 

It is simply a family history, and it is hoped will interest 
and protit those directly interested, and all who are curious 
to trace family growth. 



CONTENTS. 



I. THE WALLACES, MONTGOAIERY COrXTY, MD. 

Chapter. Page. 

L Early Settlements — Brothers Lndlstry 1 

IL Ellekslie, Scotland-America 7 

III. Ja.mes Wallace Family 14 

IV. The Hopkins Family 22 

\'. William Wallace Family 32 

II. THE WALLACES, WASHINGTON COUNTY, PA. 

I. Pioneer Life 37 

II. Home and Social Life 46 

III. Reyolutionaky Seryick 56 

IV. Political Life 60 

V. Rentley Family 64 

\I Orker (tregc. Families 72 

III. REV. JOHN SAIITH FAMILY. 

I. Key. John S.mith 79 

II. Hlgh Scott Family S4 

III. S.mith-White Family 88 

I\'. Smith -Wallace FA^HLY 93 

IV. THE READER FAMILY. 

I. William Reader 101 

II. Reader- Wall ACE T 106 

III. JA^^•:s-CHARLES Reader [Marked chap. IV. in error]-- HI 

1\'. Henry Reader-George Trumik) 117 

\' Francis Reader-Catherine Ja.mes 121 

\I. Fkancis Reader-Eleanor B. S.mith 127 



I. 



THE WALLACES, 

Montgomery County, Md. 




COAT-OF-ARMS, 

WALLACES OF ELDERSLIE, 

SCOTLAND. 

ARMS. AZ. A LION RAMPANT ARC. WITHIN A 
BDKHURE, COUNTER COMPONY AKC;. AND AZ. 

CREST. Ax OSTRICH holding in his BEAK 
A HORSESHOE PPR. 

MOTTO. LiBEKTAS Optima Resumi. 
(Fro.m "Virginia Genealogies," by per- 

.VIISSION of THE AUTHOR, REV. HORACE E. 

Hayden>. 



CHAPTER I. 



Eakly Skttlements— Bkothkus Indistky 



The earliest .settlouients in that part of Maryhuul 
now known as Montgomery county, in which the Wallaces 
of wliom this history treats were residents, began about 
1050, thoiigh the first person to ■ascend the Potomac river to 
the head of navigation, was the hardy and adventurous fur 
trader, Henry Fleet, the English navigator, who explored 
the country in 1(J25. lie descril)ed it as abounding in game, 
such as deer, buffalos, bears and tin-keys, while the river 
was full of all kinds of fish, the hunting and fishing for 
wliich constituted the chief employment of the Aborigines, 
consisting of the Indian' tribes of Yoacomicos, Anacostians, 
IMscataways, Senecas and Patuxents, all under control of 
the six nations. The country was attractive and fertile, and 
soon after Fleet's visit, prospectois made their way among 
the Indians and gained their good will, after which settlei's 
began to enter and make their homes. 

The first settlements were along the banks of Rock 
creek, emptying into the Potomac, between Georgetown 
and Washington. D. C, extending up both banks of the 
stream as far as Rockville, the county seat. Tlience settlers 



2 THE WALLACES— MONTGOMERY COUNTY, MD. 

souiilit the Tatuxeiit and coiitiiuied to spread along tlie 
hanks of this stream as far as Snell's hridge. Then the part 
of the county lying west of Rock Creek towards the Poto- 
nKic, and north and east of Rockville, seems to have at- 
tracted the attention of the settlers, and next came the flat 
red lands along the I'otomac, in the vicinity of Darnes- 
town and Poolesville. 

AnH)ng tlie tirst of recorded patents for land were in 
ItlSS. lying along Rock Creek, and an evidence of tlie rapid 
growth of tlie Province of Maryland is seen in the fact. 
th;it from tlie time of the earliest patents until the patent- 
ing of Brothers Industry, the ancestral lioine of the Wal- 
laces, in 17l'2. a large portion of the present Montgomery 
county was patented. 

Thi'U followed an era of plenty, peace and liappiness, 
during wlilcli the ohl tobacco planters witli tiieir baronial 
estates and armies of slaves, felled the forests and planted 
tiie virgin soil in tobacco and Indian corn. They feasted 
and frolicked and fox hunted, making the most of their 
life, building up a race of lirave and liardy men. whose 
love of lilterty had much to do with the founding of uur 
Repul)lic. In less than a century after this denuding of for- 
ests and exhaustion of soil began, few forests were left 
and no ne\v lands to till, and then emigration began. From 
1700 there «-as an almost constant stream of emigration 
from the county, to the more fertile cotton tields of the 
stnitli and the rich new lands of the west. 

Colonel T. II. 8. P.oyd, from whose history of Mont- 
gomery county many of the foregoing facts are obtained, 
says of the settlers of the county: "By examining the 



EARLY SETTLEMENTS-BROTHERS INDUSTRY. 



names and titles given the various tracts, it will be found 
tliat our forefathers were gentlemen of education and re- 
rinement—they came to the new woi'ld to estaliHsli a conn- 
try and home, where lil)erty of thought and freedom of 
speech were to be the fundamental principles upon Avhicli 
to base their structure." 

Rev. Horace E. Hayden, author of "Virginia Genealo- 
gies," says of the earlier settlers of our country, in the pre- 
face to the work: "New England families are mainly de- 
scended from forefathers who left the mother country early 
in the seventeenth centuiy. Those of the middle and south- 
ern staves, mainly from those who came to America during 
the third and fourth quarters of that century. * * * * 

The element that gave being to New England, like that 
which made permanent colonies of Maryland and Virginia, 
was composed of the younger sons of titled families, 
esquires, gentlemen, merchants, yeomen and tradesmen- 
men of gentle blood. * * * * 

The j^ounger sons and their descendants whom the law 
of entail cut off from hereditary estates or the means of sup- 
port, formed a large proportion of the Virginia colonists of 
the seventeenth century. * * * * * 

The religious fervor of the New England settlers, made 
it a virtue to sever all connection with the mother country 
before the Revolution. Hence many New England families 
purposely ignored the English pedigree. The patriotic feel- 
ing of the Maryland and Virginia colonists during the 
Revolution led to a similar neglect. Hence it is that this 
volume contains only two families that show proof of di- 
rect and ancient lines of descent, i. e., Peyton and Wallace." 



THE WALLACES— MONTGOMERY COrXTV, MI). 



It is claimefl that a colony of ►Scotch people, probably 
ROUS of the landed gentry described by Rev. Hayden. made 
a settlement in the last quarter of the seventeenth century, 
within the limits of wliat is now tlie District of Colund)ia. 
and called their adopted home "Xew Scotland. '" 

It is probabU' tliat this colony Mas ;i part of the .ucneral 
settlement of that section of Maryland, wiiich was coni- 
]>osed largely of Scotch. \Yhatever the settlements were, or 
whatever called, there is no doubt the Wallaces were 
' amonj;' them, who claimed to l)e the descendants of the 
Scotch nobles of that name: and whose conraue and enter- 
prise led them to seelv in the new world a home for them- 
selves. wheVe they could carve a name and fortune wortliy 
their ability and character. 

^The first mention of the Wallaces in th(> records of what 
is now ^lonforomery county. 'SU\.. was August S. IIP*, wlicn 
James Wallace, merchant, gave a mortgage to John Hide, 
of London, ami on ;\Iay 8. 3711 deiMp'd certain property to 
John Hide in payment of the mortgage. August 2."'>. ITIo. 
James Wallace merchant about to go to England, appointed 
John P.r.-idford his power of attorney. 

Xothing further appears in tlie records until ITi'l. when 
tlie following transaction was recorded, being the founda- 
tion of the Wallace Homestead of 'JSrotlicrs Industry." 
whicji has been in part at least, in possession of some one 
of the Wallace descendants luili! tlie present time, Capt. 
James Andei-son. a descendant, of Uoclcville, Md., having 
an interest in it. 

This tract of land lies ba<-k of Cabin John Bridge, about 
two miles from where this famous creek enters the Poto- 



EARLY vSETTLEMENTS-BROTHERS INDUSTRY. 



luac river, and is a beautiful place, the ground in good con- 
dition and valualile. 

The family records of the Wallaces show, that on the 
Itioad acres of Brothers Industry, the family home of Wil- 
liam Wallace, son of James Wallace, of perhaps 500 acres, 
was given the name of Ellerslie, in remembrance of the 
Wallace home in Scotland, founded more than 500 years 
before. 

Tlie following is the entry: "Land Office at Annapolis, 
Md., Liber I. L. No. A. page 340. Md. ss. : Whereas on the 
21st day of the instant, there was a warrant granted me 
one of his Lordship's land officers, foi"'490 acres of land, be- 
i)ig due to me b.v nutiee of an assignment to me of that 
grant of land by Daniel Dulaney of the city of Annapolis 
Ksq. I do therc'fore for a valuable consideration in hand re- 
CiMved of William \Yallace. of Prince (4eorge county, plant- 
ei-. for myself, my heirs and assigns, sell and make over to 
tlic said Uilliam \^'allace. liis luMrs, executors and acbnin- 
jstrators. all my right and title, mentioned in the afore- 
said warrant. Witness my hand and seal this 27th day of 
December 1721. .lOHN BRADFORD." 

Und(»i- date of Aju-il 1(>. 1722. William Wallace assigned 
tins land to James Wallace, and the latter then owned, ac- 
(•(irding to the Maryland records, three tracts o( land in 
I'rince George counitv amounting to 1.42!) acres. On the 
If.tli of Ajti'il 1722. James Stoddard. Deputy Surveyor of 
PiMiice (George county, signed the following certificate: "l 
have surveyed all that tract of land called Brothers In- 
dustry in I'rince George county, vi'/. : 1.429 acres more or 
less.-' 



6 THE WALLACES— MONTGOMERY COUNTY, MD. 

It will be observed that the land officer, John Bradford, 
who sold the land to William Wallace, was the same ap- 
pointed by James Wallace his power of attorney, when he 
went to England in 1710. 

The following record, dated November 1, 172f5, appears 
in Book M-, Prince George County: "James Wallace, planter, 
and his wife, Mary, of Prince George county, and WiHi.ini 
Wallace, planter of said county, having contributed to the 
expense of surveying a tract of land called Brothers In- 
dustry, surveyed and granted to said James Wallace, for 
divers considerations conveys to said William Wallace 
live hundred acres more or less of said tract." 

These two brothers were the founders of two families 
of the name in that county, whose descendants have set- 
tled in several different states, and proved themselves 
worthy sons of the Republic. They were all planters and 
merchants at first, but soon they began to enter the pro- 
fessions and served as creditably there as in other voca- 
tions. 



EARLY SETTLEMExNTS— BROTHERS INDUSTRY. 

(Read after paragraph three, page four). 

The lirst record of the ^Vall;u•('s in Maryland was of 
one Matliew Walhu-e, l»elieved to be the pi'o.uenitor of all 
tiie AValhices in the State, who came there in the latter 
l>art of the Seventeenth century, and in 1(;'.>4 was .^ranted 
a patent for a tract of land in Somerset county. 'Sid., called 
"Kirkminstei-."" the tirst patent granted to a Wallace in the 
State. He seems to have had at least three sons, named 
William. James and Ko))ert. of whom William left a will 
dated Ki'.KS. In which he names his brothers James an<l Koli- 
ert. but no children. Itoberfs name does not again ajjpear 
in the records. 

"New Scotland" doubtless attracted them, and a part 
of the family i)ecame members of that colony, among whom 
it seems was James Walla7-e. mentioned in paragraph three 
page four, father no doubt of James and William Wallace 
OL P.iotliers Industry. Later wills, dated "rom IT.")!' to 17(!(l, 
show that a part of tlie family remained in the section of 
the state comprising t!\e counties of Somerset. Worcester 
and Dorchester. One of these wills made ])y INIathew Wal- 
lace of Somerset county, dated in 17(i(t. gives the names of 
three witnesses who lived at Kock Creek, the home of the 
Montgomery county Wallaces, familiar mames at that time, 
showing that wlien the will Avas signed. Mathew Wallace 
was at Ko<-k Creek, eitlier visiting relatives or temporarily 
living there. 

L.y that date tliere were numerous Wallace families in 
tile counties named in Mai-yland. all believed to be from 
one oi'iginal family in tlie State, all of wlioni. and including 



THE WALLACES— M()NT(U).\1KRY COINTY, Ml). 

the Vir.irinia \Yidlaees. weiv located within ~~> mih's^. south 
and southeast. of the Wallace lOllerslic home in Montgomery 
coiiutv. Maryland. 



The Hopkins Family. 

Further and more comi)lete investi,i;'ation of the records 
of Maryland, of the Hopkins families, shows that the 
families of William Ho])kins and (ierard Hopkins, men- 
tioned in p-jirajiraphs two and thi'ee of pase twenty-three 
of this book, were not relateil to the Hopkins family 
whose history is given. The family of Mathew Hopkins 
page twenty-fonr. seems to he the one from which .John 
Hopkins came, and were from County Ayr Scotland. 



CHAPTER II. 



Ellerslie, Scoti.axd-Amekica. 



It is one of the traditions and family tenets of these 
W'.illaccs tliat tliey are descended from Sir Malcolm Wal- 
lace of Scotlan<l, the Knight of Elderslie 

The origin of the Wallace family in Scotland, datei:* 
back to the early part of the twelfth century. Some authori- 
ties name (ialieus of Wales as the progenitor of the family, 
who had a* son Richard, known as ""Richard the Welsh- 
man." The latter was the close friend of Walter Alan, the 
Norman Knight, who became i.,ord High Steward of Scot- 
l.ind under David I., and Richard was the recipient of many 
favors. 

The following .account of the family to the times of Sir 
^Villiam Wallace, we copy by permission of the author, 
John H. Wallace. Esq., of New York, from his genealogical 
collection, a most valuable one. Mr. Wallace is of Scotch- 
Irish descent and in his work he gives an admirable history 
of the Scotch-Irish. His grandfather, Samuel Wallace, came 
fi'om County Antrim. Ireland, in ITS;!, whose father, Robert 
Wallace, was liorn and died in that county. 

We (luote as follows: "Richard Waleys. or Richard the 



S THE WALLACES— MONTGOMERY COUNTY, MD. 

Welshman, as the Marquis of Bute interprets it, seems to 
be a reasonable representation of his nationality, and of 
the real origin of the name. All historians agree upon the 
former, and I am not aware that any seriously controvert 
the latter. Richard of Wales naturally became Richard 
Waleys. From the tirst appearance of this name as wit- 
nesses to charters, it has passed through considerably more 
than twenty variations in its orthography before it settled 
down to its present form Wallace. * * * * We have 
Tio means of determining the date of the birth of our first 
known Scotch progenitor— Sir Richard— 'but events con- 
nected with his history seem to place it at the very begin- 
ning of the twelfth century, say 11(X)-1110. This spans the 
great period of nearly eight hundred years from then till 
now, a'nd when we count up the intermediate connections, 
we will have to enumerate many generations of Wallace 
progenitors before we reach Sir Richard. * * « * * 

Among the first grants to Sir Richard was a tract of 
land in Ayrshire, eight miles long and three wide, upon 
which he established himself and reared his family. He 
named it Richardstown, which afterAvard became Riccar- 
lon, and the parish still bears that name. He had two sons 
whose identity has been maintained— Philip and Richard 
second. Philip was living in 1211, but Richard second suc- 
ceeded to the paternal estate. . 

Richard second had two sons— Adam and Richai-d 
third. Adam succeeded to the Riccarton estate, and Richard 
third obtained the lands of Auehincruive in 1208. 

Adam had two sons— Adam second and Malcolm; the 
former inherited Riccarton, and the latter obtained the 



ELLERSLIE, SCOTLAND-AMERICA. 



lamls of Eklerslie in Keiifrewsliire. This Adam second of 
Kiccarton. in 129C>. aclaiowledged the authority of Edward 
I. of Enjiland. and took the usual oath. 

Maleoim ^ Wallace married Margaret, daughter of Sir 
Hugh Crawford, of Crosbie, and of this mari'iage tliere 
were born two sons, according to Dr. Rogers — Malcolm and 
William the patriot: but according to the Marquis of Bute 
there were tliree sons— Andrew, William and John— and of 
these he says: 'They all died by the hands of tlie English— 
tlie first on the field, and the last two on the scaffold.' 
William was executed in London, August 28, 1305, and his 
brother John two years later. The sons of Malcolm were 
educated chiefly by the monks at the Abbey of Paisley, but 
a short distance from the castle at Elderslie, and when 
more advanced, William, at least, was sent to Dundee. Lord 
Bute says he was thoroughly trained in three languages- 
Latin. French and his own. The best authorities are agreed 
that he was born about 1273. He was the son of Malcolm, 
the son of Adam, the son of Richard second, the son of 
Richard the Welshman." 

Continuing Mr. vV^allace says: "Up to this point (close 
of tlie fifteentli century) we have nothing Imt the names 
and locations of individuals signed as witnesses to grants 
of land, etc., called charters. * * * * As a matter of 
course, the younger or less well known members of families 
never were called upon to witness charters, and hence their 
personalities never were known and never can be known. 
In the four hundred years that rolled away between the 
birtli of Richard the Welshman and the close of the 
fifteenth century, there can be no doubt there were hun- 



lU THE WALLACES— MONTGOMERY COUNTY, MD. 



dreds and biindveds of Wallace men whose names, lot-a- 
tious, and pursuits can never be found. * * * '-' * * 

The inheritance of estates under the laws f>f primogeni- 
ture may have been well suited to the condition of society 
in the thirteenth century, but it was not an unmixed evil, 
for it compelled the younger sons of the titled aiul wealthy 
to strike out for themselves, and in making tlieir own way 
in tlie world, tliey developed whatever was in tliem. Tliese 
younger sons of the Wallaces distributed themselves 
wherever tlieir fancy led— in all employments, pursuits and 
professions. From these younger sons came the great mer- 
cliamts. great sailors, great scholars, great teachers, great 
warriors and great divines. Many of them fell in battle f(»r 
their country, and not a few died at the stake for their 
religious convictions. * - * •■ * 

The rising generation of Wallaces in Scotland, Ireland 
and America can look back over an unbroken line of in- 
heritance, historically established, extending to the middle 
ages, and covering a period of about eight hundred years. 
To represent this line of descent in strictly genealogical 
form would reiiuire the naming and plnciiig of about 
twenty-six successive ancestors in the right male line before 
Ave reached Sir Richard the Welshman." 

From the early generations of the Wallace families, 
he says: "We have considered the foundations from whicli 
more than forty other families have sprung." 

Sir William Wallace, son of Sir Malcolm Wallace, mar- 
ried Marion Braidfoot. and they liad one daughter, who 
married Williaju Baillie of Hoprig, and became the pro- 
genitors of the Baillies of Lamiugton, and a long line of 
descendants. 



ELLERSLIE, SCOTLAND-AMERICA. 11 



An authority on the Wallaces, says: "The Elderslie line 
was no doubt carried on hy Sir William's brothers, who at 
death wei'e over marriageable age." 

In 1390 John Wallace, great grandson of Adam Wal- 
lace, was in possession of Elderslie, and from John the 
descent is clear for some seventeen male descendants, after 
which the estates seem to have passed into possession of 
the female lines of the family, perhaps in the eighteenth 
century. 

Sir Malcolm Wallace, known as the Knight of Elderslie, 
was the head of the family that the Maryland, Virgiuia 
and New Jersey Wallaces claim descent from. 

Rev. Hayden says on this point: "I judge that if the 
owner of any place called Ellerslie so named it in the last 
(eighteenth) century, as Dr. Michael Wallace did, he was 
in some w^ay connected with Ellerslie in Scotland." 

This Di-. Michael Wallace was the son of William Wal- 
lace, of Galgrigs, Scotland, a direct descendant of Sir Mal- 
colm Wallace, and was born in Scotland in 1729. moving to 
King George county, Va., when in his youth and there set- 
tled a place which he called Ellerslie, in honor and remem- 
brance of Elderslie the family home in Scotland. 

The name Ellerslie was adopted in this country by the 
Virginia, Maryland and New Jersej' Wallaces, instead of 
Elderslie. 

Dr. ilichael Wallace's Ellerslie was about "tO miles air 
line south of the Ellerslie named by William Wallace, son 
of James Wallace, patentee of Brothers Industry, on his 
share of this tract in Montgomery county, Md. It is not 
likely that Dr. Michael Wallace settled Ellerslie in Virginia 



12 THE WALLACES— MONTGOMERY COUNTY, MD. 



before ITaO, and it was about this time tliat Ellerslie in 
Maryland was uamed. Tlie Dr. is claimed to be the last 
of the Scottish line of tirst sons in Scothmd, and it is pro- 
liable that James Wallace was one of the younger sons, 
who settled in ^Maryland 40 of 50 years before Dr. Michael 
Wallace settled in Virginia. 

In 18G0 Ann Wallace, of Scotland, then 90 years of 
age. a descendant of Sir. Malcolm, and a niece of Dr 
Michael Wallace, wrote a letter to Mrs. E. P.. Wallace, of 
Fredericksburg, Ya.. in which she said of him: "His having 
named his acquired property in his adopted counti-y Eller- 
slie, is certain evidence of his belonging to our family." 

There was also an Ellerslie family of Wallace in Somer- 
set county. X. J., about 100 miles northeast of Ellerslie, Md. 
of which Hon. Joshua Mad.dox Wallace, grandson of Rev. 
John Wallace, of County Peel)les. Scotland, was the head, 
who claimed descent from Sir Malcolm Wallace. He mar- 
ried in ITlt; Christian Murry descendant of Robert Bruce, 
and had a son named John Bradford Wallace. In another 
place it will be seen that a certain John Bradford, an Eng- 
lish land officer, was given power of attorney by James 
Wallace when he went to England on business in 1710. and 
also that the same John Bradford sold 490 acres to William 
Wallace in 1721 to make up the tract called Brothers In- 
dustry in Montgomery county. Md., in which Ellerslie was 
located. 

On July 27. 1773, Lieut. Col. Gustavus B. Wallace, son of 
Dr. ilichael Wallace, wrote a letter from Ellerslie, Vs., to 
Dr. James Wallace, of Md., signing himself his brother, in 
which he sent his compliments to Dr. Brown and his lady 



ELLERSLIE, SCOTLAND-AMERICA. 13 

and all friends in Mainland. Lieut. Col. Wallace's motlier 
was named Brown and doubtless it was her brother refer- 
red to. It is a fact to keep in mind also, that there was 
about this time a Dr. James Wallace, grandson of James 
Wallace, of Brothers Industry, living in Montgomery coun- 
ty, Md. 

These facts show that there must have been more or 
less intercourse among the Bllerslie Wallaces of Virginia, 
Maryland and New Jersey, and no doubt relationship, and 
go far to substantiate the claim of the Maryland Wallaces 
to descent from Sir Malcolm Wallace. 

The ^larylaud Wallaces mai'ried into many of the most 
l)rominent families of that part of the state, conspicuous 
among whom were the Wheeler, Young and Douglass fani- 
lies. who owned large tracts of land now covered by Wash- 
ington. I). C. It is claimed that the Capitol. Library of Con- 
gress, and perhaps the Navy Yard and Arsenal, occupy 
what was once their property 



CHAPTER III. 



James Wallace Family 



Family history and official records show that James 
Wallace married Maiy Douglass, of Scotland, a widow, and 
came to Maryland. The family records do not give the 
names of the children, but the will of James Wallace shows 
that they had Ave children, and earlier court records show 
another son, Alexaiidei*. 

James Wallace, of Frederick county, Md., made a will 
dated September (j, 1774, in which he mentions as his sons, 
Herbert, William and James, daughter Eleanor Hopkins, 
who was to have part of Brothers Industry and Weavers 
Denn. a daughter Anne Douglass and grandsons, John Wal- 
lace and Robert; Douglass. 

There was another son, Alexander, who died about 
1759. according to the following record: "Deed of gift to 
Eleanor Wallace by Herbert, William and James Wallace, 
Jr., all of Frederick county, Md., brothers-in-law of Eleanoi-, 
widow of Alexander Wallace deceased, consisting of house- 
hold furniture, slaves and cattle." This was dated March 
3, 1759. The grandson John Wallace named in the will, was 
doubtless the son of Alexander. 



JAxMES WALLACE FAMILY. 15 

Of those childreu there is no record showing- descend- 
ants, except William, James and Eleanor. Anne Douglass 
named in the will was probably a widow, and the grandson 
Rol)ert Douglass, her son. No record has appeared of them 
after this in the will. John Wallace went to AVashington 
county. Pa., about 1779, but nothing further is known of 
him. 

Herbert and his wife. Eleanor, deeded October 22. 1779, 
lUU acres in the "Addition to the Remains," and 120 acres 
in Piney Lands, to Samuel Wade Magruder, after which 
they moved to Washington county. Pa., where all trace of 
them is lost. Tlie two other .sons remained in Montgomery 
county where they reared large families. 

I. William AA'allace married Susannah Young and had 
the following children: 

1. Alexander Wallace married Frances Montague, No- 
vember 1. 17K7. She was the daughter of William Monta- 
gue and his wife. Hannah Ballendine, of Essex county, Va. 
Mr. Wallace died before his father, William Wallace, and 
in the will of the latter provision is made for the two infant 
children of Alexander Wallace. Mrs. Wallace died October 
17, 1791. Their children were: 

i. William Montague Wallace was born in Montgomery 
county. Md., 1789 and married Ellen Maria, daughter of Dr. 
John Daughaday. of Baltimore. Md.They had eight children, 
of whom William Montague, Alexander Danghaday, Robert 
Rrnce, Charles Montague, Edward Douglass, John Fi-ank- 
lin and Ellen Maria Wallace died young. 

The only child reaching maturity was Emily Frances 
W.UI.ice. who married William H. Moore. June IL 1847. and 



16 THE WALLACES— MONTGOMERY COUNTY, MD. 



bad one daughter. William Anna Moore, born August 19, 
1849, who married Louis Dare, October 30, 1879, and died 
September 21, 1880, leaving an infant son, Edward Monta- 
gue Dare, born September 17, 1880. and died in 1894. Mrs. 
Emily Frances Moore died in 1898, thus closing the line 
of the descendants of Willia'm Montague Wallace, 
ii. Frances Montague W^allace. See sketch later. 

2. William Wallace married Miss Magruder. Children: 
— Edwin Wallace and Malcolm Wallace, who moved to 
Kentucky. 

3. James Wallace M. D., died without issue. 

4. Charles Wallace died without issue. 

5. Robert AVallace married Mary Key Watts. Children: 
—Richard Wallace and Frances Rebecca Wallace. 

6. John Wallace married for his first wife his cousin 
Nancy Wheeler and had one son, Wheeler Wallace, who 
died in infancy. His second wife was Harriet Vinson. Chil- 
dren :— 

William married Miss Sasscer, Prince George county. 

Roberta married J. R. Robertson, Charles county, Md. 
Children:— Edwin, Harriet W., J. D. 

Elizabeth B., John, Edwin, Mary, James and Lavina, 
died without issue. 

Emma man-led Elisha O. Williams, son of Wm. Beall 
Williams, of Georgetown, D. C. Children:— .Ann Dorsey, 
Harriet V., Jno. Wallace, Mary W., William Beall. Mi"s. 
Williams lives in Rockville, Md. 

7. Mary Wallace married John Anderson. 

8. Anne Wallace married Col. Richard Anderson of the 
Revolutionary War. 



JAMES WALLACE FAMILY. 17 



9. Eleanor Wallace married Sam'l B. Mag:rutler very 
late in life. 

PERRY-WAKLACE FAMILY. 

ii. Frances Montague Wallace was born October 17, 
1701 in Montgomeiy county, Md., and died March 2, 1803, 
in New Castle, Henry county, Ky. She married October 5, 
LS09. John Sanford Ferry born March 1, 1773, in Fairfax 
county, Va., son of Franklin Perry and Elizabeth Jenkins, a 
widow probably from Saiiford, born 1732, died 1824 in 
Henry county, Ky. They removefl to Henry county, Ky., in 
1S12. 

Their children were: 

i. Elizabeth Montague Perry born in Virginia July 
14. 1810, married Alfred Keauchamp in 1837, and died Sep- 
tember 14, 1839. Children— Newell Perry Beauchamp. born 
December 1, 1837, and Frances Wallace Beauchamp, born 
May 5, 1839, died May 12, 1839. 

2. Eleanor Wallace Perry was born May 7, 1812, on the 
Ohio river near Gallipolis, on a fiat boat. 

Her parents removed from Fairfax county, Va., passing 
over the mountains on the road that Braddock followed, 
striking the Monongahela river at Redstone, now Browns- 
ville. Pa. There they either Iniilt or bought two flat boats 
in which they embarked, floating down the beautiful 
Monongahela past Pittsburg, thence down the Ohio river. 
They carried with them furniture, food, horses, some silver 
and china, boxes of clothes and linen. They had also with 
them their old nurse, who had cared for "Mrs. Perry in her 
infancy, as well as the other members of the family. The 
l)uats were tied up at night, and the negroes carried tents 



IS THE WALLACES— MONTGOMERY' COUNTY, MD. 



froui the boats and camped on tlie l)auk, while the faniily 
slept on the largest boat, yume of the furniture carried in 
this way. and a piece of silk yet strong and luindsome 
wliirli was part of a dre.ss of Frances Montague Wallace, 
grandmother of Eleanor Wallace Perry, and a silhouette <>1 
the same lady, are still in the possession of the family. 

Eleanor Wallace Perry married Presley Neville Pep- 
per of Woodford county, Ky.. Feb. o, 1820, and is now liv- 
ing with her only child, Amanda M. Caine, in Louisville, 
Ky. To them was born Amanda M. Pepper March IH, ISH"), 
wlio m.irried .lohn Strange Caine Dec. l.">. lS.j4.He was the 
son of .John Caine and Katharine Frankham and was born 
September 11. 1827, died June 21. 1900 in Louisville. Ky. 
Their son, Paul Caine, was born in Louisville. Ky., .Tuly 
12, 18r)9. christened at Grace church. Louisville, married 
Annie Atmore, daughter of Charles Pawson Atmore and 
Leah Anna (Meriwithert Williams Atmore at St. Andrew's 
church. Louisville, December !». 1880. Their children Avere 
Sydney Atmore Caine born .June 2(i. 188:!. in Louisville. Ky.. 
attending Institute of Technology, Boston. :Mass.. and 
Idella Meriwether Caine, born August o. 1881. in Louis- 
ville. Ky., attending Eric Pape Art School, lloston. Mass. 

3. \Villiam Alexander Perry born October 0. 1814. mar- 
ried Caroline Brown Lee October 2r>. 1885. Children: 

i. Lewis Marion Perry born September 1. 1886. married 
Catherine Broadwell. children:— William .Alexander, Lewis 
Marion, Marion Lee, Ruth. Irvin Broadstreet. Tom Mellon 
and Kitty Perry. 

ii. F'anny Wallace Perry born Si^ptember 13, 1838, mar- 
ried Charles McAllister Marshall, children:— Charles, Carrie, 



JAMES WALLACE FAMILY. 19 

.lolin, William Humphrey, Frances Elizabeth. Eleanor 
Ferrj-. Wallace Marshall. 

iii. Leonora Leslie Perry born October 23. 184<), man-ied 
Walter L. Boyd, children:— William Ferry born February 
r>. 1874, Carrie Elizabeth born December 25. 1875, Walter 
Lee born August 13. 1870, Mary l)orn March 20. 187!». Anna 
born September 2. 18877 

iv. Elizabeth Lee Perry born October 4. 1842, no chil- 
dren. 

V. Caroline Augusta Perry born September 24, 1844, 
married Dr. L. M. Parks, one child Eleanor Perry Marks 
born November 3, 1885. 

vi. Mary Eleanor Perry born November 14, 1847, mar- 
ried Uev. L. L. Mellon July 16, 1872. Children:— Caroline T., 
born April 27, 1873; Eleanor P.. born June 19. 1875; Annie 
A., born I>l)ruary 4, 1878; Perrj- born November <>, 1879, 
Frederick Davis born Deceml>er 8, 1882. Leonora L.. born 
January 7, 188(!. 

vii. William Sumner Perry died in infancy. 

viii. Flora A. Perry born December 5. 1851. married 
.lasper B. Lewis November 13, 1881, children:— Lee M., born 
Fel)ruary 1, 1883; Hattie Davis born July 6, 1884, Louis* 
I.-eslie born September 20. 1880. 

ix. John Clarence Perry born December 17, 1854. died 
.IiiiK' 14, 1879, and Alice and Ida Perry died in infancy. 

4. .lohn Montague Perry died in infancy. 

5. Margaret Fi-anklin Perry born October 0, 1818, mar- 
ried Alexander Bayne. 

0. John Sanford Perry born November IS, 1820, married 
Harriet Ann Herndou February 22, 184S, who was the 



20 THE WALLACES— MONTGOxMERY COUNTY, MD. 



(laiij?liter of Thomas Herndon and Eleanor Wallace, daugli- 
ter of John Wallace M. D. Children:— Clara Adelia, Thomas 
llaskett, Amanda Florence and Lelie Harriet who married 
Jordan Barrachmau. 

7. Juliet Anderson Perry born January 1. 1823, died in 
infancy. 

8. Frances Montague Perry born May 14. 1824, unmar- 
ried. 

9. Mary Markham Perry born December 10, 1826. un- 
married 

10. Thomas Ballendine Perry born March 15. 18.32. mar- 
ried Maryland Knapp October 28. 1802. Children:— Charles 
Shaffner born July 21, 1863, Catherine Virginia born Sep- 
tember 18. 1804. Charles Wallace born December 19. 1865. 
Thomas Ballendine born July 16. 1867. Colby Knapp Feb- 
ruary 15, 1870, John Sanford July 2. 1872. Fanny Montague 
November 30. 1895, Louise Pannell October 25 1879. Oscar 
Allen October 19. 1881. 

JAMES WALLACE, SECOND. 

XL James Wallace married Eleanor Young and had 
the following children: 

1. Eleanor married Charles Young and had two chil- 
dren. Mary and Solon. The latter owned a part of Brothers 
Industry, the old homestead, now owned by Ninian Perry. 
Solon was the last of the Wallaces in name who owned it. 

2. James died single. 

3. John ..1. D. married Eleanor Herndon, daughter 
of Thomas and Frances Taylor Herndon, in New Castle, 
Henry county, Ky., about 1823. 

4. William died single. . 



JAMES WALLACE FAxMILY. 21 

5. Mai-y lived to an old age and died single in 1S7G aged 
94 years, at Ellerslie, Montgomery county, Md. 

H. Elizabeth married James Anderson M. D., Rockville, 
Md., and had children, James W., Edward, Thomas, Attor- 
ney, Robert, John W., Catherine Ann, Elizabeth and 
Eleanor B. Capt. James Anderson, son of James W., is 
now a resident of Rockville, Md., and has an interest in 
part of Brothers Industry. 



CHAPTER IV. 



The Hopkins Family 



The Eleanor Hopkins mentioned in tlie will of James 
Wallace as his danghter. was the wife of John Hopkins, as 
is shown by the following deed of John Hopkins and his 
wife, Eleanor, to Joseph Penn November 11, 1777: 

■"Whereas, James Wallace, late of Frederick countj, 
Md., deceased, in his lifetime, towit, March 28. 174!>, obtain- 
ed a patent for 200 acres of laud called Weavers Denn, 
then in Frederick eonnty, now in Montgomery county, Md., 
and by his last will and testannnit did give and bequeath 
to liis daughter. Eleanor, wife of said John Hopkins, etc.'^ 

The family records state that this John Hopkins came 
from Scotland. Init there is no record to show when he came 
to this country. On October 0, 1745, John Hopkins, Sr.. and 
liis wife, Elizabeth, deeded 100 acres of land to Thomas An- 
keny, which was witnessed by James Hopkins and James 
Wallace, Jr., and March 12, 175(). Tliomas Boydestone deed- 
ed to John Hopkins a tract of land called Boydestone Dis- 
covery on IMney creek and tlie Potomac river. August 8, 
17r>;» he sohl 170 acres of tiiis ti-act to Willi.-im riiambers, 
September iP>, 1707 Thomas Stump sold John Hopkins GO^^ 



THE HOPKINS FAMILY. • 23 

acres in Stninp's valley, and Octo])er I-"), 17(!7 Walter Evan 
deeded to John Hopkins an island of 32 acres in the Poto- 
mac river, wliich Mr. Hopkins deeded to Samuel Tram well 
September G, ITT.*]. October 2."), 1779. John Hopkins, of Yoho 
gania connty. Va.. now Washington county. Pa., sold the 
GOVo acres in Stump's valley to Osborne Pile. 

There seem to have been four distinct Hopkins families 
in the section covered by the present Montgomery and 
Anne Arundel counties. The first on record is that of Wil- 
liam Hopkins, who owned Hopkins" plantation on Green- 
berry's Point among the Men of Severn in 1H57. He was 
granted CiO acres of land May 10. 1G71. which was deeded to 
Thomas Tucker November 10. 1G79. Another tract was 
granted to him of I.IO acres February 2ri. 1084, which he 
sold to Uichard Sorrell .Iiuic 0. 1().S."». Otlier transactions are 
also on record. 

In the same county there was a Gerard Hopkins, anions 
the Men of Severn UJ.IS. It is doiibtless his will dated Octo- 
ber 12. 1001. in which he names his wife Thomsin, son 
(Jerard. and daughters Anne. Thomsin and Mary. Gerard 
Hopkins married Margaret Johns, and they had seven chil- 
dren, .loseijh. Gerard, Phih'p, Samuel. Richard, William, 
and Johns Hopkins, all born between 1706 and 1720. Of 
these children Uichard married and had nine children, 
among wliom there was a (ierard. Gerard Hopkins, doubt- 
le.ss the third, owned a large quantity of land in Frederick 
connty. Md., the tracts being named Hope Improved, Trou- 
l)le Enough, None I^eft and Friendship, some of which ap- 
I>ears later in the name of Gerard Hopkins, Jr. Johns Hop- 
kins, the founder of Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, 
Md.. was a descendant of this family. 



24 THE WALLACES— MONTGOMERY COUNTY, MD. 



In the year 1742, Mathew Hopkins, of Kilniarnoek, 
County of Ayr, Scotland, came to Kock Creek, now in Mont- 
gomery county. Md., where he died January 1751. He 
bought from Osbiu-n Spriggs Aiigust 26, 1741, a tract of 300 
acres of land called Sallop and later bought other lands. 
At his death he left a widow, Mary, who afterwards mar- 
ried Henry Thralkeld, but they had no children. James 
Hopkins, brother of Mathew, County of Ayr, was appointed 
by his mother to act as her attorney, to receive all prop- 
erty that might be due her from Mathew's estate. The 
power of attorney Avas dated April 29, 1752, and May 24, 
1753, James Hopkins deeded to Henry Thralkeld and wife 
the tract of land called Sallop. and a part of the tract 
known as Resurvey, a part of which was incorporated in 
Georgetown, D. C. There is no record that James Hopkins 
remained in Maryland. 

It is probable that these families were related, but the 
evidence is not available to make it clear and beyond doubt. 

John Hopkins and Eleanor Wallace, had the following 
children: 

I. Herbert Hopkins, whose children Mary and Janet 
lived in Baltimore. 

II. William Hopkins married Miss Briscoe. 

III. Richard Hopkins moved to South Carolina. 

IV. Alexander Hopkins married Rosa Laird, children: 
.John. Thomas, Eliza, Rosa, Polly and Nancy. 

V. James Hopkins married Mary Goe, children:— John, 
William. Dorcas, Elizabeth, Mary A., and Thomas. 

VI. John Hopkins married Miss Wallace, children:— 
Charles. Mrs, Nancy Butler and George. 



THE HOPKINS FAMILY 



VIT. Thomas Hopkins, a Revolutionary soldier, wh© 
enlisted in the Fifth Md. Regiment February 1780, and 
was discharged November 1. 1780. The records show that 
he was a resident of Washington county. Pa., in 1781. in 
the part that afterward became Pike Run township. He 
married Catherine Hurd May 22. 1704. who came with her 
father from Londonderry. Ireland. They had tlie following 
children: 

1. Andrew born April liO, 1795, married Anna Town- 
send .children:— Mrs. Edith E. Ooyle, Mrs. Catherine Hiesy, 
Mrs. Sabina Wilcox. Townsend and Thomas. 

2. Catherine Hopkins. Sketch Wright-Hopkins family. 
?>. Eleanor Hopkins unmarried. 

4. Thomas H Hopkins married Elizabeth MofRtt. Chil- 
dren. Moffitt. Mrs. Eliza Lanning, Thomas. Mrs. Catherine 
K repps. 

5. John Hopkins married Jane Motfitt and had one 
daughter, Elizabeth, wife of Dr. E. A. Wood, Allegheny 
county. Pa. 

0. William Hopkins married Rachel Herron Januaxy 
1. 1824. and had three children: 

i. Ajidrew. a prominent journalist in Pittsburg, Pa., 
and Wheeling, W. Va. 

ii. Catherine, unmarried, died in 1901. 

iii. James H. Hopkins attorney at law. While a resident 
of Pittsburg. Pa., he was twice elected to Congress. He is 
now a resident of Washington, D. C. 

William Hopkins was one of the most prominent Demo- 
crats of his time in Pennsylvania. In l&34-ti-7-8-9 and in 
1861-2 he was elected a member of the lower house of the 



26 THE WALLACES— MONTCIOMEKV COIXTV, MI). 

Legislatiire of Pennsylvania, and in 1863 a member of the 
State Senate. He Avas Speaker of the House in 18o8-!» anrt 
40, Seeretary of the Land Ottice, elected Canal Commission- 
er in 1852. and in 1872 was a member of the Constitutional 
Convention of Pennsylvania. 

7. White F. Hopkins married Hannah Wilson, cliil- 
dren. Araminda. Thomas C, Joseph Wright. 

S. Margaret Hopkins married Thomas West, chiUUH'n. 
Thomas, Catherine and Jonathan, the latter serving in the 
Civil War, and died in Anderson ville prison. T'pon the 
death of her husband, Mrs. West married William Mottitt 
and had children. John. Eliza Jane. Joseph. Hopkins, who 
served in the Kinggold cavalry in the Civil War. and Mar- 
garet. 

9. Alexander. 

VIH. Nancy Hopkins married Mr. Fleming. Children, 
John, AVhite, Nellie, Oatherlne, Elizabeth. Ann. Margaret. 

IX. Elizabeth Hopkins married William Wallace, son 
of William Wallace one of the founders of I'.rothers In- 
dustry. 

X. Anna Hopkins married William Parker. Justice of 
the Peace of Somerset township. Washington county. I*a.. 
April o. 1782, and snb-Lientenant of the comity in 17S1. 

XI. Eleanor Hopkins married Andrew Hoggs and had 
one son. Mr. Boggs was Justice of the Peace in Fallowfield 
township. Washington county. Pa.. February 17, 1*97. 

WKIGHT-HOPKINS F.\MILV. 

2. Catherine born April 25, 1796, married Joseph 
Wright November 6, 1814. 

Mr. Wright was the grandson of Joshua Wright, who 



THE HOPKINS FAMILY. 27 

with his brother James, settled in Peters Creek, Washing- 
ran county. Pa., then Yohogania county, Ya.. in 1764. He 
was of Scotch-Irish descent, and came from the eastern 
part of PennsjMvania. The brothers acquired 800 acres of 
land. 450 acres of which they ))ought from a half breed In- 
ilian. September 10. 1779. .Tames sold his share to his broth- 
er and moved to Ohio, thence to Kentucky. .Toshua was con- 
stable in 1775, a Ju.stice of the Peace in 1770. and presided 
over the courts of Yohogania county. After he had partly 
cleared his land and crops were planted, he returned to 
Harrisburg. Pa., and married Charity Sauus Harris, daugh- 
ter of John Harris for whom Harrisburg was named. In 
the spring of 178,'}, Mr. Wright started with two other men 
in a flat bottomed, square prowed boat, to take produce to 
New Orleans. He was decoyed ashore by a white man and 
captured l)y Indians. He was taken northward through 
Ohio, and at a point near Sandusky was made to run the 
gauntlet and was burned at the stake. 

His son. Enoch, married Rachel James, of whose chil- 
dren. Joseph Wright, born August 4, 1794 was the only one 
that reached manhood. Enoch Wriglit was a capable man, 
possessed of a large amount of real estate, on a part of 
.which Finleyville was built and was a very wealthy man 
for his times. He was Justice of the Peace for over 30 years. 
County Commissioner and Director of the Poor, and took 
an active part in the Whiskey Insm-rection. though at first 
opposed to it. He was originally a Baptist, and built a 
church on his own land to be used by all Evangelical 
churches. He later became a Methodist. 

Joseph Wright was a student of Jefferson College, Can- 



28 THE WALLACES— MONTGOMEKV COL XT V. Ml). 



onsburg, Pa., a man of strong intellect, specially informed 
in Theology and the English language. He was a minister 
of the Pittsburg Conference M. E. church, admitted when 
he was 41 years of age, after a long service as local preach- 
er. He had largely prepared a dictionary of the Euglisli 
language, which had reached the letter M. at the time of 
his death. 

•Joseph and Catherine Hopkins Wright had tlie follow- 
ing children: 

i. Darthula born March 28, 1816, married Dr. James 
Miller and had three children. Rev. R. T. Miller, Jos. W. 
Miller, M. D. and Rachel, married I>r. Jos. McCready. 

ii. Catherine born April 4. 1818, married Tliomas Ran 
kin, had 12 children. 

iii. Lucinda born March !.">, 1820. married John Storer. 
and had one son. Dr. Thomas Storer. 

iv. Joshua Wright born May 4, 1822, married Sarah 
C. White March 17, 1844. She was the daughter of Rev. 
John White, whose father came from England and settled 
in the Shenandoah valley, Va., where John White was 
born, near Winchester, April 12, 1787. He joined the M. E. 
church in 1801, and in 1809. under charge of Jacob Gruber. 
eutere<l upon his work as an* itinerant in the Greenbriei 
I>istrict, Va. On the 28th of December 1815, while on the 
(Greenfield circuit, Washington county. Pa., he was mar- 
ried to Elizabeth S. James, daughter of Robert and Cathe- 
rine James, of Nottingham township. 

Joshua and Sarah C. Wright had the following chil- 
dren : 

1. Rev. John A. Wright born January 1, 1845. He was 



THE HOPKINS FAMILY. 29 



a student in Washington College, when the Civil War broke 
out, and enlisted in Company D, 140th Pa. Regiment and 
served to the end of the war and was wounded at Chancel- 
lorsville. He was graduated from Allegheny College in 
1808, taught three years in the west, and has preached 
continuously in the M. li. church in Ohio since. 

2. Speranza Catherine born December 9, 1846, mar 
ried (ieorge W. Brown, Brooke county, W. Va., March 7, 
18(55, now deceased. She now lives at Indianapolis, Ind., 
where her sou is city editor of the Sentinel. 

3. Rev. Joseph Enoch Wright, born May 27, 1849, who 
attended Washington and Jefferson College one year. Pa. 
State Agricultural College and Allegheny College, after 
which he engaged m farming, and entered the law office 
of his uncle, Judge J. W. P. White and J. F. Slagle Jan- 
uary 1871. He was converted August i:], 1871, and l)egan at 
once to prepare for the ministry, entering the Pittsburj. 
Conference M. E. church March 1872. 

He was united in marriage March 24, 1875, with Rachel 
Luella Diehl, born November 17, 1851, daughter of Jacob 
H. and Anne Diehl, Georgetown, Beaver county. Pa., 
whose ancestors came from Germany and settled in Le- 
banon county. Pa. They had four children, two of whon; 
Anna Luella and Joseph Edwin are deceased. 

Their son, Jacob Merrill, born January 9, 1876, was 
graduated from Allegheny College, 1895, from the Pitts- 
burg law school 1897, and was admitted to practice in the 
Allegheny county courts December 1898. He married Laura 
A., daughter of Henry Pearce, of Cincinnati, O., June 12, 
1901. They live in Homestead, Pa. 



30 THE WALLACES— MONTGOMERY COUNTY, MD. 



Their son, James Francis Vernon, born April 5, 1878, 
was graduated from Allegliouy College 1898, from Drew 
Theological Seminary in 1901, and received the degree of 
Master of Arts in 1901 from Allegheny College. He was ad- 
mitted to the ritt.sl)urg Conference M. B. chni'ch October 
12, 1901, ordained deacon bj' Bishop J. M. \Vahlen, and was 
appointed to Saltsburg, Pa. 

4. Elizal>eth Anna l>orn July 2.i. 1851, graduate of 
W.ishington Female Seminary, married Levi C Linn, attor, 
ney at law, and now reside in Denver Col. Children:— Char 
les Wright and Katherine Lowry. 

.">. ^Villiam Fletcher Itorn July 20, 18.j4, studied and 
practiced law, now State Manager of the Union Central 
Life Insin*ance Companj% Buffalo. N. Y. He married Laura 
Brown May 10. ISTO, children, Mary, Edith Blanche, Laura 
B.. Katherine M. 

<j. James Sauns born Fe])ruary 14. 1857, died D'ecember 
2. 1S71. 

7. Harriet Lucinda born June 11. 1859, graduate of 
Washington Feuiale Seminary, married Everett C. Smith, 
attorney at law and journalist. Ravenswood. W. Va. Their 
children are Adn B., Everett C. and HaiTiet R. 

8. Ada Blanche born December 30. 1SG2, completed 
the seminary course of study Washington. Pa., and mar- 
ried Joseph M. Spriggs manager of a large w^holesale groc- 
ery establishment in that place. He is a graduate of Wash- 
ington and Jefferson College. Their children are. Robert 
and Margaret, died of scarlet fever, and Josephine. 

9. Frank Lawrence born October 20. 18t)4, was grad- 
uated at Washington and Jefferson College and at the 



THE HOPKINS FAMILY. 31 



Sfbool of Dentistry, Philadelphia. Pa., now practicing at Red 
Bank, N. J. He married Viola Alexander, Philadelphia, Sep- 
tember 28, 1889, and have one daughter, Frances. 

10. Josliua Koberf born October 20, 18GG, received a 
collegiate education V> asliington. Pa., and is a practicing 
attorney at the Allegheny County Bar. He married Helen 
Scluuid. daughter of Francis X. and Marie C. Schmid, Alle- 
gheny, Pa., and have two children living, Jane and Joshua 
Robert, one child, Christine, died in infancy. 

V. Enoch born July 28. 1824, married Emma Smith, 
daughter of Dr. Edward Smith, West Liberty, W. Va. They 
had ten children. 

vi. Thomas A. born March 18, 1827. 

vii. Joseph T. F. born June 9, 1828. married Maria 
Hindman. Gastonville, and had "> children. 

viii. Margaret Ann born December 24, 1830, graduate 
Washington Female Seminary, married Dr. C. W. Town- 
send, whose ancestors came to AYashiugton county. Pa., in 
1780. They had live children. 

ix. Mary Eleanor born November 30, 1833, graduate 
Washington Female Seminary, married Rev. John C. 
Brown, member of the Pittsburg Conference M. E. church 
1 1 .vears. and moved to Iowa. 

X. Hopkins born April 3, 1836, deceased. 

xi. Charity Sauns born May 28. 1840, graduate Wash- 
ington Female Seminary, married Dr. D. M. Anderson, a 
prominent man in the county, a member of the legislature 
three terms, and large real estate owner. Their children are 
Hopkins, graduated Columbia Law School, and Elizabeth, 
graduated Washington Female Seniinarv. 



CHAPTER V. 



William Wallace Family 



The subject of this sketch, brother of James Wallace 
patentee of Brothers Iinliistry, is first named in the records 
in the purchase of 400 acres from .Tolm Bradford, which 
was assigned to his brother James, and be<-ame a part of 
that famous tract. His services in founding this homestead, 
recognized by his brother in 1720 by deeding him 500 acres 
of the tract, form the next record, and there is no furtlier 
n)ention of him until tlie recording of his will June 10. 1750. 
This will was dated April 1, 1758, in which the names of 
his wife and children are given. 

In it he states that his son James is to have "100 acres 
of the jilaiitation: three daughters, Elizabctli Boydestone, 
Anne Mason and f]lcanor Tracy a I'ing each, 20 s In value, 
having already provided for them: daughter Sarah Thomp- 
son mulatto boy and 200 lbs tobacco: wife Frances my now 
dwelling house, plantation of 200 acres; son Nathaniel 100 
acres: son William remaining pai't of Brothers Industry; 
daughters Martha, Margaret, Mary, Frances and Barbara 
to have Boydestone's Discovery." His wife Finances was ap- 
pointed executrix, and the will adds that William shall 



WILLIAM WALLACE FAMILY. 33 



liave remainder of Brotliers Industry, after wife's death, 
and after to Nathaniel. If tliey die without issue survivors 
of family to inherit. The following clause aijpears in the 
will: "It is my desire that the boys, in case my wife should 
marry, shall have the produce of their labor at the age of 
IS years: but if she does not mamy, to stay with their 
mother until they are 21 years of age." 

This record shows that his son William Wallace, the 
only one of liis children of whom tliere is a record of his 
descendants, was a mere boy at the time of his father's 
death, perhaps not over 9 years of age. 

Of the daughters there is no record to be found any- 
where, the will sho^ving only that tliree of them were mar- 
i-ied, two in the well known families of Tracey and Boyde- 
stone. 

Under the date of November 18, ITf^Il. James Wallace, 
son of William Wallace, of the Province of Carolina, sold to 
James Wallace, Sr., of Frederick county. Md.. "all Ms right 
and title to part of the tract of land called Brothers In- 
dustry in Fi'oderick county, Md., near Captain Johns." He 
became a I'esident of youth Carolina, and all trace of him is 
lost. 

October 28, 1770, Nathaniel Wallace and his wife, 
Frances, conveyed their share of Brothers Industry to 
Francis Clements, and on the 4th of March 1782, he recited 
in brief the history of the tract, and the disposition by will 
of William Wallace, his father, of his share in the land, 
smd the deeding of Nathaniel's share to Francis Clements. 
He was then a resident of Washington county. Pa. 

In the Penna. Archives Third Series, Vol. 22 page 772. is 



34 THE WALLACES— MONTGOMERY COUNTY, MD. 



Kiven the effective supply tax list tor Somerset townsliip 
ill 1781, in which Nathaniel Wallace was assessed for 180 
acres of laud located near the present village of Vanceville, 
on the middle fork of Pig-eon Creek. It is related that the 
tirst observance of the rite of baptism in that section by the 
Kaptist church, was on his farm in 1S05. During the im- 
mersion in the creek a severe thunderstorm arose, and a 
tree sheltering the platform on which the preaching was 
held, was ^struck killing two horses. Mr. Wallace's daughter 
was one of those immersed. No record can be found of this 
family's subsequent life and no descendants are known. Wil- 
liam NVallace, Nathaniel's brother, was also assessed in this 
list for 200 acres of land on the north fork of I'igeon Creek. 

On October 10, 1780, William Wallace, Jr., and Eliza- 
beth Hopkins, his wife, deeded to Francis Clements their 
part of Brothers Industiy, being then residents of Wash- 
ington countj', Pa. 

By these sales, the share of William Wallace in 
Brothers Industry, deeded to him in 172f), passed entirely out 
of the hands of the family, and all the males of the family 
had left Maiyland. 

William Wallace and his bride. Elizabeth, daughter 
of .John and Eleanor Wallace Hopkins, went to Washing- 
ton count.v. Pa., soon after their marriage July 11. 177'.», 
where they reared a family and have numerous descend- 
ants. 



II. 



THE WALLACES, 

Washington County, Pa^ 



CHAPTER I. 



Pioneer Life 



William Wallace and Elizabeth Hopkins were united 
ill mari'iage in Montgomery county, Md., July 11, 1779, and 
soon afterward removed to what is now Somerset town- 
ship. Washington county. Pa. 

They evidently came with a number of their relatives, 
as the records show the presence of the following persons 
in that neigliborhood, of the Hopkins and Wallace families: 
Nathaniel Wallace his bi-other, Herbert Wallace a cousin, 
John Wallace, Herbert's nephew, and John. Thomas and 
Ale.Kander Hopkins, brothers of Mrs. Wallace. 

These families had land on Pigeon, Pike Run and Ten 
Mile creeks, and lived along the valleys of the first two. 
They were all planters, and had taken up considerable 
(luantities of land amid the forests and along these 
streams, sheltered by the beautiful hills that make so 
picturesque and lovely scenery to the present time. They 
lived but a few miles apart and thus were able to go to 
each other's relief in times of danger and distress. 

From this settlement of relatives, the three streams 
named ttow into the Monongahela river, and the country 



38 THE WALLACES— WASH IN(iTON COUNTY, PA. 



covered is well adapted to be the lioine of a brave people, 
where they were trained in industry, rigrhteous living 
and patriotism. 

df the families prominently represented in this history 
whose nationality is known, nearly all were Scotch or 
Scotch-Irish, and were of the Scotch Presbyterian stock, 
who bronght with them their principles of religions liberty, 
and became leaders in all that tended to the real growth 
and moral strength of their communities. There was no 
yielding of principle, ditticulties did not deter them, hard- 
ships failed to wear them out. and they seemed to thrive 
and grow amid the exactions and hardsliips of the pioneer 
life. Their sterling moral strength made the communities 
strong and self reliant, among the best in the Nation. 

The labor and danger of coming hundreds of miles from 
the east, over mountains and throngli streams, on foot or 
horseback, with no comforts of travel or living, was 
sufficient to try tln> strength and courage of the hardiest 
people, and the result was a race of hardy settlers. Many of 
them came from Maryland and Virginia, over the old Brad- 
dock route from Cumberland, crossing the Allegheny 
mountains and Laurel Hill. 

The winter of 1779-80. when Willian) Wallace and his 
bride began life on the frontier, was one of exceptional 
cold. In January I78u tlie harbor of New York was frozen 
over so solidly that the British drove laden wagons on the 
ice from the city to Staten Isl.-md. The snow in February 
was four feet deep in the woods and in the mountains of 
Western Pennsylvania, stopping all supply trains from the 
east, and the weather continued exceedingly cold for two 



--^ 



PIONEER LIFE. 39 



months. The destruction of animals and birds was si'eat, 
and tlie sufferings of tlie settlers intense. Tliey began to 
do their part in winning the West, inider conditions 
sufticient to appall any but the stoutest heart. 

The pioneer life was one that their descendants can 
never understand or appreciate, and that in Western Penn- 
sylvania during the years of the Revolution, was unusually 
severe and trying. The constant battle with the forces and 
conditions of nature was so severe as to tiy their fortitude, 
but was nothing to the awful scenes that took place with 
the wild beasts and savages. They lived in an almost 
unln'oken forest, except where a settler had cleared space 
for his caljin and a few acres for tilling. Tliey had lint few 
neighbors, whose rallying point in times of danger was 
the blockhouse or the foi't. the rigors of their life and the 
constant exposure to imminent danger, dulling the l)rjglit 
and joyous features of life. 

A ('hronicler gives a picture of one scene in a settler's 
lonely cabin: "Night closed upon him in his rough house, 
witli his faithful dog and ritle by his si(h\ Lying in his 
rough bed or hammock, reptiles were coiled on the earth 
beneath his ])ed. while hordes of ravenous wolves attracted 
by the savory venison, their appetites whetted and stimu- 
lated to uncontrollable fury, howled about the cabin threat- 
ening the life of tue settler." These conditions, with the 
ever present danger from a raid of hostile savages, made 
a scene of loneliness, desolation and horror, that cannot be 
depicted on pai>er oi- canvas. 

During the period from the time Col. Wallace settled in 
Washington county until many years afterwards, raids of 



40 THE WALLACES— WASHINGTON COUNTY, PA. 



the Indians wore frequent, and it was in these raids, and 
preparations to repel threatened attacks, and drive the 
savages westT\'ard. that tlie Rangers of the Frontiers 
rendered such great service in the founding of our Republic. 
They were not in the conflict opposed to armed and disci- 
plined soldiers from Europe, like their comrades in the east, 
V)ut they had to meet and conquer the bushwhacking 
savages who lurked in the woods and fell on the unsuspect- 
ing settlers, and were backed by the skilled and crafty 
British bands in the west. The awful barbarity of the 
savages lent horror to the warfare, and it was worse in 
feroclt.v. if not in the actual dangers of battle, than the 
more civilized warfare in the eastern part of the country. 

The following are a few of the raids of the savages 
(huing th(^ closing years of the Revolution, but not all that 
occurred, taken from the local histories: 

Sunday morning Mai'cli 12. 1780, a ])arty of Wyandotts 
shot and tomahawked five men and carried away thi'ee 
boys and three girls in the southern end of what is now 
Reaver county, on Raccoon creek. 

April L'7. ITSO. Col. I'roadliead wrote to the pi-esident of 
Pennsylvania, that "between 40 and -jO men. women and 
children have been killed or taken from what are now 
called Yiihog.-iiiia. Monongalia and Oliio coimties," the 
former containing the Monongahela region. 

About the middle of Sejitember 1780. the Wyandotts 
fell upon the settlements on Ten Mile Creek, and killed and 
carried away 7 persons. This was close to Col AA'allace's 
residence. 

Februarv 10. 1782. a large body of Indians visited the 



PIONEER LIFE. 41 



dwelling of Robert Wallace, Raccoon creek, Washington 
county, in bis absence, killed his cattle and hogs, plundered 
the cabin of everything, and carried away bis wife and her 
3 children. Mrs. Wallace was found afterward, impaled on 
the sharpened trunk of a sapling and her infant child killed 
and mutilated. 

Sunday May 12, 1782, Rev. John Corbly and family 
while walking to their meeting house, on Muddy Creek, in 
what is now Greene county, were attacked by savages, the 
wife and 8 children killed and scalped, and 2 daughters 
scalped who afterward recovered, the father alone escaping. 

September 13, 1782, seventy Indians attacked and 
besieged the blockhouse of Abraham Rice on Buffalo creek, 
a short distance from Col. Wallace's, but were defeated. 

In April 1783, a band of the savages killed one man and 
captured a dozen persons, within a mile of Washington, 
the county seat. 

These are but a few of the awful experiences of that 
period, the people being kept on the constant watch to pre- 
vent sudden attacks, and scores were prevented by such 
vigilance. It was a common occurrence, for men to carry 
their rifles to the woods or fields where they worked, to 
the house or grove where they worshipped, and never to 
be without them close at hand. When an uprising occurred, 
or when the authorities called for men to prevent incursions 
of the savages or drive them out, then the Rangers of the 
Frontier were on hand, and under their proper officers 
made short work of any parties of Indians that prowled 
around. 

William Wallace and wife and their friends who came 



42 THE WALLACES— WASHINGTON COUNTY, PA. 

with them to the county, were truly pioneers in that wild 
region. But a few years before it was uninhabited, and 
when they arrived to make their homes, it was still a 
wilderness and the hunting ground of the savages. 

The first settlements in tlie original limits of Washing- 
ton county, Pa., were in 17G(). and in 1707, the cabins of 
the white men were first built. The Monongahela river was 
crossed, and settlers had stopped at the mouth of Ten Mile 
creek and settled on Raccoon creek. Settlements began in 
earnest about 1770. 

The Indians had no permanent dwelling places in the 
county, although Shingis a King, and Catfish a warrior, of 
the Delawares. had hunting lodges, the former at the 
mouth of Chartiers creek, and the latter where Washingtou 
now stands. Fi'om the spring of 1774, when Cresap stopped 
at Catfish camp with his party, at the beginning of Dun- 
more's war, until 1795, there was no time when fear did not 
find a place at the fireside of the settlers. 

Westmoreland county was organized February 20, 1773, 
and remained intact until March 28. 1781, when Washing- 
ton county was erected from it. After the organization of 
Washington county, the following counties were erected: 

Fayette county from Westmoreland county September 
26, 1783. 

Allegheny county from Westmoreland and Washington 
counties Septeml)er 24, 1788. 

Greene county from Washington county February 7, 
1700. 

Beaver county from Allegheny and Washington 
counties March 12, 1800. 



PIONEER LIFE. 43 



From the latter date, Washington county has remained 
nnclianged. 

The Act erecting Washington county, provided in Sec- 
tion 4, that the trustees James Edgar, Hugh Scott, Van 
Swearingen, Daniel Leet and John Armstrong, should 
before July 1, 1781, divide the county into townships. Section 
9, authorized Justices of the Peace to hold courts of general 
quarter sessions and jail delivery. Section 10, appointed 
James Edgar, Hugh Scott, Van Swearingen, Daniel Leet 
and John Armstrong, commissioners to purchase ground for 
a court house, etc. 

The trustees divided the county into 13 townships July 
15, 1781, in three of which, Bethlehem, Fallowtield and Not- 
tingham, lived nearly all the early settlers included in this, 
history. These townships all bordered on the Monougahela 
river, and occupied all the frontage on that river in Wash- 
ington county. 

April 3, 1782, Somerset township was erected from 
Fallowtield, Nottingham, Bethlehem and Strabane. Addi- 
tional townships were formed from these three original 
townships, as follows: January 18, 1790, East and West 
Bethlehem; January 18, 1792, Pike Run, which was divided 
into East and West Pike Run, March 8, 1839; Carroll Sep-^ 
tember 30, 1834; Union March 31, 183G; Allen June 14, 1853. 
The early towns aloug the river in this territory, were 
Parkinson Ferry, laid out by Joseph Parkinson July 2.5, 
1700, later known as Williamsport and now as Mononga- 
hela City, changed to the latter April 1, 1837. 

Greentield was laid out in 1819, incorporated as a 
borough April 9, 1834, now known as Coal Centre. 



44 THE WALLACES— WASHINGTON COUNTY, PA. 

"West Brownsville laid out in ISni, incorporated as a 
borough April 2, 1852. 

California laid out May 2, 1840, incorporated as a 
borougli November 20, 1853. 

Canonsburg was laid out by Col. John Canon April 15, 
1788, in Chartiers township. 

A ferry was operated at Greenfield as early as 1781 by 
Van Swearingen, who was one of the trustees of the county 
and its first sheriff. In the year 1781, a road was ordered 
from "Washington's Mill (now Perryopolis, Fayette 
county,) to Van Swearingen's ferry, and thence to Catfish 
camp." This ferry was a famous one in later years for the 
carrying of live stock across the river, to be taken to east- 
ern markets, and many persons yet living, remember the 
great herds of sheep, bunches of cattle, etc., that the 
drovers took over the mountains from the West. The Mary- 
land settlers in Fallowfield and Somerset townships carried 
on this traffic to some extent early in the last century, and 
perhaps soon after the settlement of the Indian troubles in 
1794. William Wallace, Jr.. of Somerset, engaged in the 
business to some extent. 

The main streams emptying into the Monongahela 
river in these townships, were Ten Mile creek, following 
the line between Washington and Greene counties. Pike 
Run creek, emptying at Greenfield, and Pigeon Creek 
emptying at Monongahela City. 

The Trustees of the county, under the authority granted 
them, purchased of David Hoge October 18, 1781, proprietor 
of the town of Washington, a lot of land on which to erect 
the building for public use, which was begun in 1783, and 



PIONEER LIFE. 45 



was built of logs. The consideration was "for his good will 
he beareth to the inhabitants of the said county of Wash- 
ington, and for the sum of five shilings to him in hand paid 
etc." In the original plot of the town, made in October 1781, 
Mr. Hoge had written "Bassett alias Dandridge" town; 
then he had crossed out these names and written above 
them Washington, the first town in the entire country to be 
named for the Father of his Country. 



CHAPTER II. 



Home and Sociat. Life. 



William Wallace owned several tracts of land in 
Somerset and Bethlehem townships. March 10, 178*j, a land 
warrant of 200 acres was granted to him, which was doubt- 
less for the 200 acres on which he was assessed in 1781. 

The Supreme Executive Council of Pennsjivania issued 
the following land warrants to him: 367 acres on Ten Mile 
creek called •■Richmond," surveyed May 14, 1785. 423 acres 
called "Wallace's Industry" on Pigeon creek, surveyed 
April 8, 178(J, named in memory no doubt of "Brothers 
Industry" in Montgomery county, Md., where he lived until 
married. 232^2 acres on Pigeon creek, called "Wallace's 
Bargain," patented to him March 25, 1788. 

He bought from Andrew Wise March IG, 1793, 100 acres 
out of the 400 acre tract called "Fishery," located in Bethle- 
hem township, on the north fork of Ten Mile creek, about 
2Y2 miles from its junction with the south branch, and 
about four miles from the Monongahela river, on which his 
mill was lo<:"ated. Zollarsville is on part of this tract. He 
and Absalom Baird bought 302 acres from Benjamin Park- 
inson on Pigeon creek and Mingo creek, February 1, 1795 



HOME AND SOCIAL LIFE. 



47 



called "Moiuit Pleasant," aud he also owned over 100 acres 
on Pike Run creek. 

The home of Colonel Wallace was about two miles 
from Bentleysville in Somerset township, where he lived 
for over forty years. The house built and occupied by him, 
in which all his children were born, is yet in use and in a 
good state of preservation as shown in the cut of it on this 
page. 

He was for some years a miller, as well as planter and 




Wallace Homestead, Erected 1779-1780. 

stock grower, and it was quite a familiar and prominent 
place, being recognized in the records of Washington county 
in surveys made. 

At the March session of the court of Washington 
county in 1794, a road was ordered "from .John Heaton's 
mill on the south fork of Ten Mile creek to Col. Wm. Wal- 
lace's mill on the north fork of said creek." 

In the formation of Greene county, Februaiy 9, 1796, 
the following record is made of the boundary line, begin- 



48 THE WALLACES— WASHINGTON COUNTY, PA. 

uing "At the mouth of Teu Mile creek, on the Monongahela 
I'iver; thence up Ten Mile creek to the junction of the 
north and south forks of said oreek; thence up said north 
fork to Col. William W'ailace's mill etc." 

Col. Wallace, the planter, like many of his neighbors, 
held slaves for a few years. Pennsylvania was the first of 
the States that passed an act for the gradual emancipation 
of all the slaves within its jurisdiction, enacted March 1, 
1780, and under the act, owners of slaves were required to 
register them. The following registers are shown of the 
Wallace and Hopkins families: 

December 28, 1782, Frances Wallace 11, William W^il- 
lace 1, Herbert Wallace 20, John Hopkins 10, Fallowheld 
township. 

February 27, 1789, William Wallace, Esq., 3, Somerset 
township. 

.July 15, 1790, William Wallace, Esq., 4I, Somerset 
township. 

March 9,1789, Herbert Wallace 1, Fallowlield township. 

March 7, 1789, John Hopkins, Jr., 1, Fallowheld town- 
ship. 

The ordinary occupation of the pioneer, in clearing and 
cultivating his land, was laborious in the extreme, while 
that of the women of the household was just as hard, with 
less of the excitement and interest of outdoor life. Far 
removed from the advantages and intlueuces of a more 
settled and civilized life, they were thrown completely on 
their own resources for the enjoyments of the social side 
of their life. The social life of the period was of the most 
friendly and hospitable character. A common danger broke 



HOME AND SOCIAL LIFE. 49 

down all formality, and bound the people together in strong 
ties of sympathy and helpfulness. Neighbors met together 
in social pleasures with a heartiness and geniality of man- 
ner, freedom from restraint and hearty good cheer, that has 
largely passed away. Special invitations were not the pass- 
ports to the homes of the people, but literally the latch 
string hung out to all who might call, natural courtesy and 
good breeding giving a hearty welcome. They entertained 
their visitors with a whole souled hospitality, character- 
istic of the royal nobility so natural to the early builders 
of the country. 

One of the pleasant social occasions, wherein pleasure 
was combined with business, was the "scutching" frolic, 
when the women of the neighborhood prepared the flax for 
the clothing of their household. After the flax raised on 
their farm had been "retted" or softened, so that the fibre 
could be separated, it was passed through the "brake" a 
home made machine for cracking and .separating the pithy 
heart of the plant, and was then ready for scutching. 

Each woman had her scutching block, a piece of tree 
trunk split in two and a triangular section cut from the 
middle, mounted on four pins or legs. With a swingling 
knife made of a wooden paddle about two feet long, having 
a broad blade and one thin edge, the sticks of broken flax 
which were held along the groove of the scutching board 
with one hand, were beaten with the swingling knife, strik- 
ing lengthwise of the plant, until the tough and springy 
fibre was separated into threads, which lay in the groove of 
the scutching block a coarse, fluffy mass ready for 
hackling. The scene was an animated one, the exercise not 



50 THE WALLACES— WASHINGTON COUNTY, PA. 

too hard, but sufficient to bi'ing color to the faces of the 
fair M'orkers, while their tongues were as busy in conversa- 
tion as their hands were in scutching. 

This was followed by the hackling, a coarse comb being 
used, with which the scutched flax was raked, until the 
rougher part known as swingling tow. was separated from 
the finer part. The latter was the linen fibre ready for spin- 
ning into coarse and fine threads, thence made into cuts 
ready for the shuttle for weaving into cloth. 

Such a gathering was common, and a part of the life 
of the people. The conversation ran along rapidly, but the 
themes were quite different from those at the parties of the 
present day. The Indians, always in mind and always a 
teiTor, were first in thought and speech. One related the 
story of the outrages of the savages when, the men absent 
in the fields, they came unawares on the household of 
women and children, or raided the settlement of unarmed 
residents, and murdered the helpless and the innocent, the 
scalping knife completing the bloody work. The horror of 
the days and nights with the fear of the savages constantly 
before them, was told in such thrilling tones as to cause a 
hush to fall upon all. 

But these were women of sti'ong faith, high courage 
and fixed determination, and they soon banished the 
soml)re thoughts of danger, and turned to more cheerful 
subjects. Their household duties, the making of the cloth- 
ing, the rearing of the children, and the latest develop- 
ments in the religious life of the settlements, demanded 
attention, and none was more discussed than the latter, 
which was so needful in their lives, and so vital to their 
welfare. 



HOME AND SOCIAL LIFE. 51 

Not less attractive was the com shucking be«s, gen- 
erally in the fields, but sometimes in the shelter near the 
houses, which was made an occasion of great moment and 
interest. A group of men walking in the furrows would 
strip the husks from the golden ears, hurling the latter into 
heaps as thej' passed along; or having the stalks gathered 
in heaps, the men seated aboiit them, shucked the corn and 
piled the ears into great golden piles. The men were the 
principal actors in this work, as the women were in the 
scutching of the flax. 

The period of labor in each case was followed by the 
supper, bounteous and good, after which came the amuse- 
ments of the evening, when for the time all danger was 
forgotten. Games were made and played by the younger 
ladies and the gallants who had called in time for supper. 
These were of the kind that prevailed in the pioneer times, 
and not always such as we have in these days, but innocent 
and pleasureable. The home dances were popular, with the 
dancing as graceful and sometimes as vigorous, as the 
supple and sturdy youth who engaged in them, with music 
as wild as the virgin forests, from a tiddle played by one 
of nature's own musicians. The scene was one of rare 
attraction, and as innocent as it was gladsome and hearty. 

As the children of the pioneers grew toward manhood 
and womanhood, the thoughts of the parents naturally 
turned to the educational advantages of the homes of their 
childhood, and the opportunities they had, and they did 
what they could to supply this necessity in the life of the 
children. 

The educational advantages were necessarily of the 



52 THE WALLACES— WASHINGTON COUNTY, PA. 

poorest. The school houses, when there were any, were 
made of logs in the most primitive manner, with one log 
left out to give light, the fireplace built of logs with stone 
back wall, calculated for a back log G feet long. The seats 
were made of small trees cut about 12 feet long and split, 
the flat side dressed smooth with an axe, and legs put in 
on the round side. The schools were as primitive as the 
other life of the country, but what there were developed a 
strong people, of rare good sense, intense loyalty to right 
and country, and good builders of the intellectual giants 
W'ho followed them. 

Among the most interesting events in those pioneer 
days, as has been the case indeed in all ages, were the 
marriage customs and ceremonies. 

The mode of dress was simple and plain in the extreme. 
The men wore moccasins, leather breeches, leggins and 
liusey hunting shirts, all home made. The women were 
dressed in linsey petticoats and gowns, coarse shoes and 
stockings, handkerchief and buckskin gloves. On the event- 
ful day a procession was formed by the bridegroom and his 
friends, usually in double file, about one mile from the 
house of fe-stivity, and thus marched to the place. Arriving 
at the house the ceremony was performed at high noon, 
after which was a sumptuous dinner. This was of the most 
substantial character, consisting of a feast of beef, pork, 
fowl, venison and bear meat, roasted and boiled, with 
plenty of potatoes, cabbages and other vegetables. Tbe 
feast was spread in most of the homes on a table made 
from a large slab of timber, hewed smooth with a broadaxe, 
supported l)y four sticks; and the furniture consisted of 



^ HOME AND SOCIAL LIFE. 



some old pewter dishes aud plates, the remainder being 
wooden bowls, and a few pewter spoons with others made 
of horn, and scalping knives made up any deficiency in 
knives. 

The dinner was followed by dancing, which usually 
continued all night, while the bride and groom were 
spirited away from the crowd. 

Whether this custom literally prevailed at the weddings 
in Col. Wallace's home is not known, but that they were 
grand affairs, and much made of, is a matter of family 
history. The Colonel was a lover and grower of fine horses, 
and his plantations contained many fine specimens, which 
figured in the wedding ceremonies of his daughters. When 
his daughters began to leave him he was comfortably fixed, 
luxuriously for the times, with plenty of the good things 
of life to make him a liberal entertainer, and a prince in 
good cheer and living. 

His daughter Frances and House Bentley were married 
at the old homestead August 8, 1799. The occasion was 
magnificent in its proportions, many guests being present, 
hospitality of the freest and cheeriest, the old mansion 
ringing with mirth and gayety, and evei'ything befitting so 
important an occasion. When the ceremony was over, a 
sumptuous and splendid banquet followed, with all the 
good things that earth, and woods, and sky provided for 
the appetite. When all were served, and the hour came for 
the departure of the new couple to build a home of their 
own, they were sent away with good wishes and good 
cheer, leaving in a coach drawn by four white horses, the 
pride of the stock that made rich the plantation of Col. 



54 THE WALLACES— WASHINGTON COUNTY, PA. 

Wallace. Doubtless all the other girls were given as good 
a send off. 

Of a different character, and more solemn, and often 
sweet and soothing, were the religious meetings in the 
forests, known variously as sacramental meetings, four 
days meetings, and later as camp meetings. Churches and 
ministers were widely scattered so that the people came 
for miles In wagons, on horseback and on foot. In the can- 
vas covered wagons couches were provided for the women 
and children, while the men camped under the wagons 
or in booths. Rude fireplaces were made on which to hang 
the pots for cooking, while the horses were picketed in the 
woods. Logs were laid for seats at the place of worship, 
and the pulpit was in the preacher's tent, a wooden shed 
with raised floor, roofed but open at the sides and front. 

Those were the days of the ecclesiastical pioneers and 
giants, such as Dr. John McMillan, Rev. John Clark, Rev. 
Joseph Smith, Rev. Mathew Henderson and others, and 
the preaching was as forceful and rugged as the life and 
labor of the pioneer settlers. They needed strong food and 
they got it. Service was held at 11 o'clock after which there 
was luncheon and ihen preaching at 3 o'clock. In the mean- 
time the sacramental tokens were distributed, a custom 
brought from the Church of Scotland. 

At night the scene was picturesque and awe inspiring, 
when with the rude torches of pine knots lighting up the 
camp, the wierd, beautiful and touching singing, ' the 
earnest, eloquent and Impressive tones of the jpreacher, the 
rustling of the leaves under the touch of the breeze, the 
hum of the insects, the occasional twittering of birds, with 



HOME AND SOCIAL LIFE. 55 

perhaps the plaintive note of the whippoorwill, made a 
scene never to be torgotten. The effect at some of these 
meetings was startling- in the extreme. During the revivals 
under Dr. McMillan, persons under strong conviction of 
sin were prostrated to the ground, and their bodies 
strangely and violently agitated. The local historians of 
the time thus described the scenes, and added that in many 
cases there was decided change of character, and the after 
life proved the genuineness of the work. 

In those days there were no church buildings and 
conveniences such as we have, and God's temples were 
the rallying places of God's chosen people. Prior to Gen. 
Anthony Wayne's victory over the Indians in 1794, men 
generally went to church with their guns on their shoulders, 
which were stacked ready for use at the place of worship, 
and sentinels were posted to sound the alarm, in case of a 
threatened attack by the Indians. 



CHAPTER III. 



Revolutionary Service. 



Col. William Wallace was a soldier in the Kevolii- 
tionaiy war, serving at two different times, first while in 
his Maryland home and after settling in Washington 
county. Pa. 

In the Maryland Archives Volume XII folio 352, a list is 
given of Captain Richard Smith's company of militia, for 
the service of the "Flying Camp," the service of the com- 
pany beginning September 19, 177G. Col. Wallace was a 
private in this company. The places of service of the com- 
pany seqm to have been in New York and New Jersey, in 
the campaigns of General George Washington in the fall 
of 1776 and in 1777. 

In the Maryland Convention July 26, 1775, the forma- 
tion of a regular military force was ordered, to be composed 
of a battalion of which Colonel Smallwood received the 
command, seven independent companies and two companies 
of artillery and one of marines. The convention also 
resolved to enroll forty companies of minute men, eight of 
which were from Frederick county. 



REVOLUTIONARY SERVICE. 57 



On July lU, 177G, six companies under Col. Smallwood 
and three from Baltimore, embarked for tlie head of Elk 
river, whence they marched to New York, and were incor- 
porated in General Stirling's brigade. The four independ- 
ent companies remaining in Maryland, as was also the 
"Flying Camp," were later ordered to join Colonel Small- 
wood. 

In July 177(5, the Continental Congress authorized the 
establishment of a "Flying Camp" under General Hugh 
Mercer, composed of men from Pennsylvania, Delaware 
and Maryland. 

The regiment of the "Flying Camp" under Col. Beall, of 
Max'yland, left early in the fall, sailing to the head of Elk 
river, thence marching to New Y'^ork. 

The "Flying Camp" is shown in history, to have taken 
part in the battle of White Plains, N. Y., the latter part 
of October 177G; were at Fort Washington in November, 
where they held a very dangerous and important position; 
took part in the battle of Princeton January 1777, Brandy- 
wine September 1777, and Germantown October 1777. The 
length of service, losses, and other particulars so carefully 
kept in these days, are entirely lacking. 

In the Pennsylvania Archives Third Series, Volume 23 
pages 211-223, Wallace's name is given as a private in the 
"Rangers of the Frontiers." These are miscellaneous rolls, 
showing the names of men from 1778 to 1783, but no com- 
panies or other commands are given. The rolls are made 
up of such lists as the State has been able to secure. Col. 
Wallace's name appears in at least three places, showing 
that he served on three different occasions, and was paid 



58 THE WALLACES-WASHINGTON COUNTY, PA. 

for such services. In the lists wliere his name appears are 
the names of many of his neighbors, showing that an 
organized body went into the service, and that he served 
his country after he l>ecame a resident of Washington 
county, Pa. 

After the Revolution he was a prominent figure in 
the militia of the State. In 1782 he was a private in the 
militia; in 1784, soon after peace was established, -he was 
Ensign of the militia, in the Fourth company, Capt. 
Marquis, 3rd Battalion, and perhaps saw some further 
service in defending the frontiers from attacks of the 
Indians, with whom peace was not established until 1795. 

Mr. Wallace was known as Colonel Wahace, the title 
being derived from his service in the militia, in which he 
became Colonel, and not from his service in the Revolution, 
in which he held no commission as an officer so far as the 
records show. He became colonel so far as can be learned, 
about 1791 or 1792. 

In the report of Alexander Hamilton, Secretary of War 
to President Washington, September 2, 1794. of the officials 
who took any part in the "Whiskey Insurrection," or as he 
expressed it— "those instances of opposition and discount- 
enance to the laws l\v persons in office which are unequivo- 
cal," he says:— "Among those who composed the third meet- 
ing which was held at Pittsburg on the 21st of August 
1792, were John Canon and Albert Gallatin, members of 
-the legislature; D. Bradford, deputy attornej' general; 
James Marshall, register and recorder; Edward Cook, 
associate .ludge; John Smilie, State Senate; Thomas Wilson 
and Samuel Geddes, colonels of militia; William Wallace, 



REVOLUTIONARY SERVICE. 59 

then sheriff uow colonel of militia; John Hamilton, sheriff 
and colonel of militia; and Bazu Brown, captain of 
militia." See Pennsylvania Archives, Second Series, 
Volume 4, page 287. 

The report oi the Secretary could not give the date of 
the appointment of William Wallace as colonel, but the 
following record shows that he held this office while he 
was sheriff. In the Pennsylvania Arehives, Second Series, 
Volume 4, page 700, under date of February 9, 1792, a peti- 
tion is given, which was sent from Washington county to 
Governor Mifflin, asking for the appointment of .John Robi- 
son as County Lieutenant. One of the signers of this peti- 
tion was "Col. Wm. Wallace." This would show that at the 
meeting in Pittsburg August 21, 1792, he was both sheriff 
and colonel of militia. 



CHAPTER IV. 



Political Life. 



Colonel Wallace seems to have been prominent as a 
politician as well as a soldier. 

In the records of the Supreme Executive Council of 
Pennsylvania, at Philadelphia. June 30, 1788, is the follow- 
ing: "William Wallace, Esq.. was appointed and commis- 
sioned a Justice of the Peace and of the Court of Common 
Pleas, in and for the county of Washington, upon a return 
made according to law. for the district of Somerset." The 
appointment was for seven years, and he was the third 
Justice of the township. His commission gave him the 
position of Associate Judge. He was also appointed Justice 
in 1807. 

He was a candidate for sheriff in 178G. but failed of 
election, but was elected November 9, 1700, to serve for 
three years, the fourth person elected to that office in the 
county. Hon. Thomas Scott, member of Congress, and Hon.. 
John Hoge. State Senator, were tlie sureties on his bond. 

During his term of office there was no courthouse. The 
first courthouse and .i^il was occupied July 1787. The 
building was of logs and located on the public square. This 



POLITICAL LIFE. 61 



was destroyed by fire in the winter of 1790-91, about the 
time Col. Wallace entered upon his duties. The second 
courthouse was begun in 1791 and completed in 1794, in 
which period court was held at James Wilson's house. 

October 2, 1794, Col. Wallace was elected as a Repre- 
sentative from the county to the House of Representatives 
of the State. The county being declared in a state of insur- 
rection on account of the "Whiskey Insurrection!," a 
resolution was offered in the House December ItJ, 1794, 
that on this account William Wallace and others elected 
from the western counties at the same time, were not duly 
qualified for the office. 

The question was discussed and laid over until January 
9, 1795, when the following resolution was adopted by a 
vote of 43 yeas and 20 nays: "Resolved, That the elections 
held during the late insurrection in the counties of West- 
moreland, Washington, Fayette and Allegheny, to represent 
said counties in this House, were unconstitutional, and 
they are hereby declared void." 

On February Ki, 1795, those who were candidates were 
re-elected, Wm. Wallace being among- the numiber, who 
was a member of that body for 1795-6-7. No charges of 
disloyalty were made against these gentlemen, but they 
were deprived of their seats on constitutional grounds 
alone. 

So far as the records show. Col. Wallace took no offen- 
sive part in the "AVhiskey Insurrection." During the early 
part of the movement he was sheriff of the county, and no 
record is known or statement made regarding his course 
except in 1792. In the Pennsylvania Archives, Series 2, 



62 THE WALLACES-WASHINGTON COUNTY, PA. 

Volume 4, pages 29-31, an account is giveu of a meeting 
held in Pittsburg August 21, 1792, at which he and his 
neighbor, Sheshbazzar Bentley, were present. .John Canon, 
founder of Canonsburg, was called to the Ciiair and Albert 
Gallatin elected clerk, and a committee of five members 
was appointed to prepare resolutions, and then adjourned 
until 10 o'clock the next day. 

At that meeting resolutions were adopted, one of which 
appointed a committee to draw up a remonstrance to Con- 
gress, stating their objections to the excise laws and pray- 
ing for the repeal of the same, and another appointed a 
committee of correspondence, whose duty it was to corre- 
spond together, and with such committees as should be 
appointed for the same purpose from the other counties, 
relative to the general subject. William Wallace was the 
first name on this committee. 

His name does not appear again anywhere in the 
records as having any part in the movement, doubtless on 
account of his ofiicial position as sheriff and colonel of 
militia, and from the fact that the law was modified, and 
that President Washington ordered its enforcement; whose 
word was law to his old soldiers. 

The W^hiskey or W^estern Insurrection was a deplorable 
event, casting a shadow on the settlers of tliat day, but 
it was more the work of a few hot heads on the side of the 
disaffected people, than of any deliberate attempt to 
resist the government. Many of the settlers had served 
under General AVashington to form the Republic, and not 
one of them would deliberately take up arms against him, 
or enter into a combination to hurt their country, but rather 



POLITICAL LIFE. 63 



would have fought to the death for both. The hot heads on 
cue side aud the %yaut of patience and lack of tact of a 
few* who represented the governiuent, brought on misun- 
derstanding and eventually conflict and the strong arm of 
the government was exerteo to procure quiet. 

The cause of the opposition to the excise, was the 
poverty of the people. They raised plenty of grain, but had 
no markets, hence no money. The cost of hauling their pro- 
ducts to Philadelphia, their nearest market, over the moun- 
tains in wagons, was from $5 to $10 per 100 pounds. They 
had mills and ground their grain into good flour, but it 
cost as much for freight to Philadelphia as the flour sold 
for. The only way the people saw to get out of their 
financial difficulties, was to distil their grain into whiskey, 
and thus send it to market in a more portable way. In 
those days neither the making nor selling of whiskey was 
regarded as it is now, and it was believed to be legitimate, 
and in this way they sold their grain and procured some 
money. 

The excise which placed a tax on the whiskey, aroused 
the indignation of the sturdy Scotch and Irish who had 
taken their lives in their hands to settle the country, and 
they naturally opposed the imposition of the tax. This little 
flame was fanned by some ambitious persons who hoped to 
profit out of it. Some of the distillers accepted the inevitable 
and tried to make the most of it, and all would have done 
so in time no doubt but for the few, very few, leaders who 
kept up the agitation, some of whom were the first to leave 
the country when the army came west to suppress the 
insurrection. 



CHAPTER V. 



Bentley Family. 



The Beutleys who married into the old Maryland 
family of Wallace, had ancestors in Pennsylvania as early 
as 1700. The family goes back to John Bentley and his 
wife, Mary Miles Bentley, who were living in Chester 
county, Penaisylvania, in 1701. Their son Jeffrey Bentley 
married Eleanor Banner and were the parents of George 
Bentley, who served in the colonial wars, holding a lieuten- 
ant's commission. He married Jane Charter and they had 
eight children, Sheshbazzar, House, Jeffrey, Absalom, Mary, 
Benjamin, Margaret and Joseph. The family moved to 
Western Pennsylvania about the time of the Revolution. 

Sheshbazzar married Hannah Baldwin and had six 
children: House, George, Benjamin, Hannah, .Tane and 
Sheshbazzar. He purchased 1,050 acres of land on Pigeon 
creek, Washington county, Pennsylvania, May 8, 1777, and 
being a millwright, he built and operated the first mill on 
that creek. He was evidently a prominent and influential 
man in his day. At the meeting held in Pittsburg, August 
21, 1792, during the Whiskey Insurrection, he and his friend 
William Wallace, were present and were appointed to act 



BENTLEY FAMILY. 65 

together on the committee of corresponclence. Of his 
children, George and House were the ones that married into 
tlie Wallace family. 

I. Eleanor Wallace, born June 4, 1780, was married to 
George Bentley and had no children. 

II. Frances Wallace, born June 30, 1782, was married 
to House Bentley August 8, 1799, and had children as 
follows: 

1. Hannah Bentley bom November 5, 1800, married 
John Kennedy, a well known and popular man, whose 
ancestors were old residents of Mingo, near Finleyville, 
Washington county, Pennsylvania, coming from Ireland 
about 1775. They had nine children of whom, at the 
present time, three are living, Sheshbazzar and House, 
unmari'iod, and Frances who married .John Long of 
Monongahela City, Pa. 

The children of the latter were Elizabeth and John 
Kennedy Long. Elizabeth married Alvin King, of Mononga- 
hela City, and died, leaving one son, Jack. John K. Long 
ma.iTied Sarah McClure and they have a family of three 
sons, William, Edward and Sheshbazzar and one daughter, 
Frances, married to S. F. Coopei", all living. 

2. Sheshbazzar Bentley, born November 27, 1802, mar- 
ried Elizabeth Shouse in 1825. Sketch later on. 

3. Elizabeth Bentley, born March 6, 1805, married Mr. 
Todd. 

4. William Wallace Bentley, born June 22, 1807, unmar- 
ried, died in the south. 

5. Eleanor; 6 George; 7, Benjamin; 8, House; 9, 
Franklin, died in infancy. 



66 THE WALLACES-WASHINGTON COUNTY, PA. 

10. Martha J. W. Bentley, born December 3, 181G, 
married John Caldwell Jnly 25, 1842. He was the sou of 
Joseph Caldwell ITCS-lSoS and Catherine Schwartz Cald- 
well, of Irish lineage, and was born May 10, 1814. They 
had three children. 

i. Francis Narcissa Caldwell, born in 1844, died in 1899, 
never married. 

ii. Catharine Caldwell, born in 1847, married Adolpbus 
Luning and lives in California. 

iii. Mary Martha Caldwell, born in 1849, was adopted 
by her uncle B. F. Bentley, and married Alexander McLean 
Walker in 1871, and died in 1876, leaving no children. 

Mrs. Caldwell died in 185.3, and after his wife's death, 
Mr. Caldwell went west and died there. 

11. Margaret Bentley, born February 8, 1819. married 
Robert Mullin. The MuUins are also an old Irish family. 
They came to this country from Ireland and settled in Cum- 
berland county. Pa., where William D. Mullin, father of 
Robert was born, January 6, 1787. He came to Fayette 
county about 1809 married Margaret Graham and had a 
family of eight children. 

Robert, the oldest son. was born December 19, 1814, and 
married Margaret Bentley; he was engaged in the mer- 
cantile biisiness until his death. Their children were: 

i. Orthelia Mullin, born February 28, 1846, was mar- 
ried to W^illiara McCune, and to them were born two 
children, Robert Mullin and Edward Howard. 

ii. Frances E. Mullin, born July 1, 1848, was married to 
Joseph Cooper. They live in Pittsburg. Have bo children. 

12. Benjamin Franklin Bentley, born December 28, 



BENTLEY FAMILY. 67 

1821, married Mary Van Voorliis, a descendant of one of 
the oldest and largest families in Washington county, tiielr 
ancestors coming from Holland in 1G70 and settling in the 
county in 1785. They had no children. 

13. Mary Ann Amanda Bentley, born June 3, 1828, 
was twice married, first to .Joshua N. Stephens and then 
to Levi Stephens, a brother of .Toshua, descendants of a 
Welsh familj' that came to this country soon after 1700 
and before the Revolution settled in the Monongahela 
Valley. The children of .Joshua N. and Amanda Stephens 
are Nathaniel Bentley, Prances Elizabeth and Belle. 
BENTLEY—SHOUSE FAMILY. 

2. Sheshbazzar Bentley, son of House and Frances 
Wallace Bentley, married Elizabeth Shouse in 1825. 

Elizabeth Shouse was the daughter of John Shouse, 
who was one of the pioneer settlers in W^ashington county 
and was a man of parts. When the war of 1812 broke 
out, he was captain of a cavalry troop of Williamsport, now 
Monongahela, which actively participated in the war. 

Sheshbazzar Bentley was one of the best known, men 
of his day, large hearted and generous to a degree, and 
gained considerable prominence in politics, being elected 
county commissioner in 1835 and sheriff in 1840, being the 
last sheriff from the river district to the present da.y, and 
was, as well, prominent in local affairs. He owned a large 
tract of land below Monongahela City, part of which is 
now West Monongahela. He died at Washington, Pa., 
March 20, 1875. 

They had the following children: 

i. Roxana Bentley, born .July 1, 1827, married Dr. 



68 THE WALLACES— WASHINGTON COUNTY, PA. 

Aaron Gamble. They had one son. Sheshbazzar Bentley 
Gamble, now a resident of Colorado Springs, Colo. 

ii. Mirabell Bentley, born October 28, 1829, married 
William Moore and had two children, Jennie ^Vilson, wife 
of J. W. D. Stovell, of Colorado Springs, and Mirabell, who 
died in early womanhood. Mr. and Mrs. Stovell have three 
children: Jack, James and William. 

iii. Sarah Jane Bentley. Sketch later. 

iv. William Wallace Bentley, born June 28, 183G, mar- 
ried Mary Bowman, of Brownsville, for his first wife, and 
Louise White, of Bvansville, Ind., for his second wife, and 
they had one son, W^lliiam Wallace Bentley, who lives near 
Pittsburg. 

V. Lanthus Bentley, born May 7, 18o9. unmarried, died 
November 15, 1887; he served one term as district attorney 
of Washing-ton county. 

vi. Marsena and vii. Eudora, died young. 

iii. Sarah Jane Bentley, born February 7, 1832, married 
William Hugh Wilson, November 15, 18H0. Mr. Wilson was 
born Noveml)er 30, 1833, and is a descendant of the old 
Wilson family of Carlisle, Pa., originally from Ireland. His 
father was Joseph Wilson, who was the son of Hugh Wil- 
son. The latter came to Monongahela City in 1810, and 
was one of the first ruling elders in the Presb.vterian 
church there, a strong Presbyterian of the Scotch-Irish 
school, of great piety and much force of character. 

Among his many religious books were a book of 
prayers, published in 1710, which is a family heirloom, and 
a rare old Bible of great size, which came from Ireland and 
contains carefully preserved records of the Wilson family. 



BENTLEY FAMILY. 69 

Hugh Wilson's wife was Sibby Holmes. She attended 
the ball given in Philadelphia in honor of the Declaration 
of Independence, and the gray satin gown she wore on that 
occasion is a valued treasure of the family. William H. 
Wilson and wife had the following children: 

1. Margaret Elizabeth Wilson, born August 28, 1861, 
was married to William C. Hodill May 20, 1888, and had 
two children, William Philip Courtney and Bettie. 

ii. William Wallace Bentley Wilson, born May 16, 
1863, died November 11, 1865. 

iil. Jennie Stuart Wilson. Sketch later. 

iv. Maude Wilson, born June 15, 1869, was married to 
John Nesbit Jenkins August 15, 1900. 

V. Roxana Bentley Wilson born April 5, 1871, died 
November 11, 1871. 

vi. Eliza Logan Wilson, born June 17, 1873. 
iii. Jennie Stuart WMlson born August 29, 1865, was 
married to William Herron Alexander, June 14, 1888. They 
have one child, Jean Alexander. By this marriage two of 
the early families of Monongahela City were united, the 
Wilson family being resident since 1816, and the Alexander 
family since 1828. Hugh Wilson and Joseph Alexander 
both had trading stores. 

Joseph Alexander was born April 1, 1795, and died 
June 20, 1871, and spent nearly all his life in business in 
Monongahela City. His father, Joseph Alexander, Sr., 
born July 9, 1765, died June 9, 1847, was a man well 
known in his day for his abolitionist views. He served in the 
war of 1812 as Forage Master in Captain Thomas L. Jack's 
company, Second Regiment, commanded by Colonel Robert 



70 THE WALLACES— WASHINGTON COUNTY, PA. 

L. Patterson, Second Detachment of Pennsylvania militia 
in service of the United States from October 2, 1812 to 
April 2, 1813 under command of Brigadier General Rich- 
ard Crooks in the Northwest army under General William 
H. Harrison, While the term of service was not long, the 
historian Spencer says that the Pennsylvania troops suf- 
fered very great hardships during the winter dragging 
the artillery and stores from Sandusliy to the Rapids. As 
Forage Master Joseph Alexander, Sr., employed his son, 
Joseph Alexander, Jr., (1795-1871) and Thomas Corwin, 
afterwards the famous statesman, to assist him in teaming 
supplies for the army, and the two boys roomed and slept 
and took the hardships of army life together. Joseph 
Alexander, Sr. was the son of Isaac Alexander, born in 
Maryland, December 16, 1715, died 1792. Isaac was the 
first of this branch to settle in Western Pennsylvania, 
having been granted a patent for 3G5 acres of land on Ten 
Mile creek, near what is now Fredericktown, Washington 
county, Pennsylvania, March 25, 1788. His father, Elias 
Alexander, was a Marylander, born 1080, died 1780. 

The Alexanders are represented in the business life of 
the community at the present day by the bank bearing their 
name and have been active and foremost in local affairs for 
several generations. 

Joseph Alexander admitted his son, the late William 
J. Alexander to an interest in his store in 1843 under the 
name of J. Alexander & Son, which title existed until 
1850, when the present name of Alexander & Co. was 
adopted and the banking business established. 

In 1800 James S. Alexander, a younger son of Joseph 



BENTLEY FAMILY. 71 



Alexander was admitted to the firm, which was further 
enlarged by the admittance of Joseph A. Herron, a grand- 
son of Joseph Alexander, in 1871. On the death, in 1894, of 
William J. Alexander, William H. Alexander and Frederick 
K. Alexander, sons of James S. Alexander were admitted. 



CHAPTER VI. 



Greer-Gregg Families. 



III. George Beiitley Wallace, boru March 19, 1784. 
IV. Margaret Wallace, born May 20, 178C, was married 
to .John Greer, February IG, 1807. Children: 

1. Eleanor Bentley Greer, born April 30, 1808, married 

Duprez, and they moved, it is believed to Louisville, 

Ky., where some of their descendants at one time lived. 

2. Frances Bentley Greer, born June 8, 1810. 

3. rfarah Selina Greer, born July 28, 1812, maiTied Rev, 
W. E. Post, of the Cumberland Presbyterian Church, sixth 
pastor of the church at Washington, Pa., who was con- 
verted at the great camp meeting held in September 1831. 

He was the son of Ephraim Post, of Upper Ten Mile 
Presbyterian Church, an old pioneer family, who was one 
of five members of that church who wrote January 1831 to 
the president of the Cumberland (C. P.) College, Princeton, 
Ky., requesting that Cumberland Presbyterian preachers 
be sent there, and helped to organize the church in Wash- 
ington county. Great revivals of religion attended the 
formation of this chui'ch, the people melting in tears, and 
as mauy as 120 persons coming forward at one time for 
the prayers of the church. 



GREER-GREGG FAMILIES. 73 

This was followed by a camp meeting held September 
1831 for one week, 250 families being on the ground. It 
was the greatest meeting the evangelists had ever known, 
Mr. Morgan, one of them, saying: "We had attended many 
meetings but this surpassed any we had ever seen. Several 
times when the anxious were invited, we counted some 
250 on the seats at one time. Convictions of sin were 
more general, deeper and more rational than any we had 
ever before noticed, and conversions the clearest, attended 
with the most overwhelming joy and peace. It was common 
to see pei'sons of age and intelligence overwhelmed by a 
sense of their sins, and their lost and miserable condition, 
in the deepest anguish of soul. From this sad and affecting 
condition they would seem all of a sudden to awake into 
light and joy the most ecstatic and indescribable." 

Rev. W. E. Post and family moved to Ohio and all trace 
of them was lost. 

Mrs. Greer died March 23, 1813, when Eleanor B., and 
Sarah Selina Greer her daughtei's, were taken home and 
reared by Mrs. George Wallace Bentley, but there is no 
record of the other child, Frances B. Greer, who it is sup- 
posed died in infancy. 

V. Martha Wallace, born September 5, 1788, married 
James Agnew Smith. See sketch in Smith family. 

VI. William Wallace, Jr., born August 20, 1790, was 
married to Eleanor Gregg June 14, 1811. She was the 
daughter of John Gregg, who came from Ireland in 1791, 
and settled in what Is now East Pike Run township, Wash- 
ington county. Pa., with his brothers Henry Gregg and 
William Gregg. They owned a large quantity of land 



74 THE WALLACES— WASHINGTON COUNTY, PA. 

between West Brownsville and Belle Vernon, some of 
which still belongs to their descendants. 

They had one child, Sarah Gregg Wallace, born May 1, 
1812. .\Irs. Wallace died December 20, 1813, and Mr. W^^l- 
lace died in Maryland where he had gone with a drove of 
horses. September 25. 1820. He was a .soldier of the war 
of 1812 in the Maryland service. 

Sarah Gregg Wallace was married to John R. Gregg 
Novemoer 29, 1832. He was born April 5, 1810, and was 
the son of Robert and Ann Robinson Gregg, and grandson 
of William Gregg, one of the three brothers who settled in 
the country together. John R. Gregg in early life was a 
school teacher, and was afterwaixls a merchant in Green- 
field. Mr. Gregg died April 17, 1885. and Mrs. Gregg June 
5, 1871. They had the following children: 

1. Eleanor Martha Gregg, born January 27, 1834. now 
lives at Stockdale, Fa. 

2. Anne .jane Gregg, born September 23. 1830, mar- 
ried Lewis Whittaker Morgan October 27, 1857. He was 
born at Waynesburg. Pa., November 5, 1830, the son of 
William M. and Mary Whittaker Morgan. The Morgans 
were Quakers and of Welsh descent, and came to Pennsyl- 
vania from Baltimore, Md. Mrs. Maiy W^. Morgan was the 
daughter of Thomas and Elizabeth Lewis Whittaker, who 
came to this country from Ireland in 1797 to York, Pa. 

L. W. Morgan moved to Greenfield in 1844, and began 
business in California, Pa., May 1851, keeping the first 
general store in the town. He was on the river for sev- 
eral years after this, serving as hrst clerk on the mail line 
of steamboats, the longest term being on the "Telegraph," 



GREER- GREGG FAMILIES. 75 

under Capt. Woodward. After leaving the river on account 
of his health, he went into the merchandising and coal busi- 
ness, continuing until 1888. He is now engaged in the 
grocery business at California, Pa. He and his family are 
members of the M. E. Church. He was elected superixi- 
tendent of the Sunday School at its organization and served 
in that capacity for 20 years. He has been trustee in the 
Normal School at California, Pa., since its incorporation, 
and is the only member who has served continuously. He 
was the first president of the board of trustees. Politically 
he is a Prohibitionist. Children: 

P. W. Morgan, born December 27, 1862, married Annie 
Amelia Kendig, daughter of Rev. M. S. Kendig, December 
27, 1898. He was graduated at the Normal School at his 
home, and is now cashier of the East Pittsburg National 
Bank at Wilmerding, Pa. 

Mary Woodwaixl, born April 22, 1860; William Wallace, 
born in 1864; John Charles, born April 20, 1866, and Lewis 
Lambert, born July 20, 1870, are all dead. 

Elizabeth Holmes Morgan, born Februai-y 22, 1868, was 
graduated from the Normal School at her home in 1885. 

Albert Thomas Morgan, born October 8, 1872, was 
graduated at the Normal School in 1891, Dickinson Law 
School in 1898, and is practicing law at Washington, Pa. 

3. William Henry Gregg, born Januaiy 24, 1839, mar- 
ried Mai-y L. Lambert September 22, 1880. Children: 

Sarah Amanda i.nd Mary Ella died young. 

John R. Gregg, born May 3, 1888. 

Lucetta Jane Gregg, born January 19,1890. 

Elizabeth Morgan Gregg, born February 15, 1892. 



76 THE WALLACES— WASHINGTON COUNTY, PA. 

Joseph Etta Gregg, born September 23, 1895. 

Mr. Gregg served four years during the Civil War, in 
Company I First West Virginia Cavahy, and was a good 
soklier, serving his country faithfully. 

Mrs. Gregg was born J,une 18, 1857, in Greenfield, the 
daughter of .Joseph and Amanda Lambert. The latter was 
the daughter of William and Mary Hornbake, born at Belle 
Vernon, Pa. 

Mr. Lambert was born in Allen township, Washington 
county. Pa., March 4, 1833. His father, William Lambert, 
was born in County Wexford, Ireland in 1784, came to 
America when a young man, and married Lydia Jones near 
(Greenfield about 1823, whose father, John Jones, a teacher 
and Quaker, came to this country with William Penn. Wil- 
liam Lambert was a Catholic and his wife became also a 
member of that church. Two of their sons became Catholic 
Priests, and their daughter a Sister of Mercy. Mr. Lam- 
bert died in 18G8 and Mrs. Lambert in 1871, both being 
l)uried in the Catliolic cemetery at Elizabeth, Pa. Joseph 
A. Lambert is dead and is buried in the Catholic cemetery 
at Coal Centre. 

Elizabeth Wallace died June 24, 1818, and Col. William 
deceased. 

Elizabeth Wallace died June 24, 1818. and Col. William 
Wallace April 24, 1821, and were buried on their homestead 
near Bentleysville, where they had lived together for 
nearly forty years. 



III. 



Rev* John Smith Family* 



CHAPTER I. 



Rev. John Smith, 



Rev. Joliu Smith was born in 1747, near Stirling, Scot- 
land; was graduated at tlie University of Glasgow, and 
studied tlieology with Prof. Moncrieff at Alloa, near Stirl- 
ing, on the river Forth. 

He was ordained in 17G9 by the Associate Presbytery 
of Stirling, with a view of going as a missionary to 
America. In the late fall of 1770, Revs. John Smith and 
John Rogers were appointed missionaries to America and 
sailed for their new home, arriving late in the winter. 
They attended a meeting of the Presbytery at Pequea, Pa., 
June 4, 1771, and became members of it. 

The Associate Church of North America began in 1750, 
when the first application was made for preaching, 13 years 
after the secession from the Church of Scotland. Another 
application was made in 1770, which led to the appoint- 
ment of Revs. Smith and Rogers. 

Before the close of tlie year 1771, Rev. Smith received a 
call to preach from Guinston, York county. Pa., and Middle 
Octoraro, Lancaster county, Pa., and accepted the latter, 
being installed May 6, 1772, adding Oxford to his charge 
March 19, 1783. After the Union, the Covenanter Church 



80 REV. JOHN SMITH FAMILY. 

of Octoraro was also added to his church. He remained 
here until 1794. The congregations grew rapidly, so much 
so that on May 20, 1776, the Presbytery was divided into 
those of New York and Pennsylvania, Rev. smith being a 
member of the latter, in which all his work was done. 

In 1774 the Reformed Presbytery was constituted in 
Pennsylvania, and in 1777 a plan of union was proposed 
between the Associate (Seceders) Presbytery of Pennsyl- 
vania, and the Reformed (Covenanters) Presbyteiy of Penn- 
sylvania, to be called the Associate Reformed Presbytery. 
The agitation was kept up, and in April 1781, Revs. John 
Smith and William Marshall were appointed a committee, 
to draw up an ultimatum upon which the Associate Church 
would enter the communion of the Reformed Pi-esbytery, 
which was unanimously adopted by the Associate Pres- 
bytery, but was rejected by the Reformed Presbytery. 

Another meeting was held November 29, 1781, in the 
report of which it is said, that "Mr. Smith, who was a man 
highly gifted, especially as a public speaker, directed all his 
efforts to secure a majority in favor of the Union." It was 
again brought up June lo, 1782, before the Associate Pres- 
bytery, which voted for the Union, and it was completed. 

The Associate Synod of Scotland August 31, 1785, con- 
demned the action, and held Rev. Smith and the others 
who voted for it. "to be in a state of apostasy," and the two 
members not voting for it, were constituted the Associate 
Presbytery of Pennsylvania. Later nearly all these minis- 
ters returned to the Associate Church, Rev. Smith on 
account of the statement of principles of the Associate 
Reformed Presbytery not being satisfactory. 



REV. JOHN SMITH. 81 

He was one of the ablest advocates of the Union; and 
in a report on the subject of Psalmody, adopted by the 
Associate Reformed Synod of America in 1838, he is called 
"One of the fathers of the Associate Reformed Church." 

In the trying and stirring days of the Revolution, the 
ministers of these churches were in earnest and active 
sympathy with the Colonists, some of them being chaplains 
in the army. 

Rev. John Smith w'as settled at Octoraro most of the 
time he was in eastern Pennsylvania, but by request was 
one of the tirst preachers in Washington county, Pa. Rev. 
.John McMillan, D. D., was the earliest Presbyterian 
minister settled in the county, first visiting it in 1775, and 
was located permanently as pastor of the Chartiers and 
Pigeon creek churches in 1778. 

Rev. Tliaddeus Dodd became pastor of Ten Mile Pres- 
byterian church in 1777, and Rev. Joseph Smith, of Cross 
creek and Buffalo churches in 1779. The Peters creek 
Baptist Church was constituted November 10, 1773, Rev. 
John Whitteker pastor. 

In 1773 members of the Associate Church in Peters 
township made application to the Presbytery of Pennsyl- 
vania, for preaching, and in answer to their prayers, Revs. 
John Smith and John Rogers visited them, but did not 
organize a church, that being done by Rev. Matthew Hen- 
derson in 1778, who first visited the section in 1775. Revs. 
Smith and Rogers were probably the first members of the 
Presbyterian faith to preach in the county, if not the first 
of any church. 

Upon the death of Rev. Matthew Henderson in October 



82 REV. JOHN SMITH FAMILY. 

1705. pastor of the Chartiers Associate Church, Canonsburg, 
Pa., Rev. Smith was called, and became its pastor Novem- 
ber 15, 179G, remaining as snch until January 21, 1802. He 
was also pastor of the Peters Creek Associate Church at 
the same time. It was said of him while pastor here, that 
he was "A man of superior intellectual ix)wers and a very 
popular speaker." 

The Associate Synod of North America was constituted 
at Philadelphia May 20, ISOi, of which Rev. Smith was 
Moderator. 

Soon after 1800. Revs. John Smith and John Anderson 
were appointed to issue a warning on the evil of slave- 
holding. They made a report in which they pronounced 
slaveholding a moral evil, and urged the necessity of fuliy 
instructing the people in reference to its nature. 

December 20, 1797, while he was pastor of the Chartiers 
Church, the trustees purchased 4 acres, 2 roods and 15 
perches of land from John Canon, founder of Canonsburg. 
for which they paid 45 pounds. One of the trustees was 
Samuel Agnew, brother of Mrs. Smith, who came to Char- 
tiers creek in 1780. The land was situated about one mile 
southwest of Canonsburg. on which the congregation 
erected their first meting house, and the remaining portion 
was used as a burial place by the people of Canonsbiix'g 
and vicinity, now known as "Oak Spring Cemetery." 

The house was built of round logs daubed with clay, 
some of the logs having been cut to give light. The seats 
were of round poles laid on blocks. It had no fire place, 
stove or chimney. There the congregation would sit for 
two sermons, in cold winter days, without fire, and no glass 



REV. JOHN SMITH. 83 

in tlie windows. The church served by Rev. Smith is now 
the Chartiers U. P. Church. The old log house gave way 
to one built of limestone, which was succeeded by a brick 
church in 1834. This was torn down in ISrtg, and the 
pi'esent church edifice in Canonsburg was erected in its 
place and dedicated in March 1870. 

After his release here. Rev. Smith served a while in 
Alexandria, Va., and after his release there he lived on a 
farm near Canonsburg, where he died March 25, 1825. The 
day before his death, a Chronicler says: "He attended the 
fiuieral of a neighbor, Mr. Weller, and after the interment 
he returned with the family to the house of the deceased. 
Several other friends were present, and he delivered a vex'y 
solemn and pertinent address. He remained over night, 
and next morning at the breakfast table, after asking the 
blessing, he reclined his head backwards and immediately 
expired without a struggle or groan." 

A churcli historian said of him: "In mental force, in 
theological learning and in pulpit power, Mr. Smith had 
few eqvials, and perhaps no supeiiors, among all the 
ministers with whom he was ecclesiastically associated, 
and soon after the Union of 1782, he was designated by the 
Associate Reformed Synod, as a suitable person to take 
oversight and instruction of its theological students." This 
position he held for about ten years. Mrs. Smith died 
August 2C,, 1805 



CHAPTER II. 



Hugh Scott Family 



Rev. John Smith was married to Anne Agnew, the 
granddaughter of Hugh Scott, who came from the Nortli 
of IreLnnd to Pennsylvania, and settled in Chester county 
about 1()70. Hugh Scott had a son Abraham, bom in 
Chester county in KiTT, who had children as follows: Ann 
born October 1(>9!), Samuel 1705, Rebecca December 17. 
1707, Alexander 1710, Grace, Hugh 1726, Josiah 1735, two 
of whom Hugh and .Josiah, settled in Washington county, 
Pennsylvania. 

Rebecca became the second wife of James Agnew in 
1737, and had nine children: Samuel born January 29, 1738, 
Martha born September 9, 1740, James born May 1, 1742, 
David born July 17, 1743, Margaret born August 27, 1745, 
Rebecca born May 3, 1747, Sarah born May 15, 1749, 
Abraham l)orn December 23, 17.50,\Anue born Oc tober_ 3, 
1753, two of whom, Samuel and Anne, became residents of 
Washington county. Pa. 

Hugh Scott settled in Nottingham township. Washing- 
ton county. Pa., in 1773. He was one of the five elders of 
the Pigeon Creek Presbyterian church, organized by Rev. 



HUGH SCOTT FAMILY. 85 

Dr. Jolm McMillan November 1776, the oldest Presbyterian 
cliurch in the county. He was one of the five trustees 
appointed to divide the county into townships, and to pur- 
chase ground for a public building for the county; was in 
the first grand jury panel October 2, 1781; was elected a 
member of the Council of Censors on the second Tuesday of 
October 1783, and was commissioned Justice of the Peace 
November S, 1788. 

He was married 1754 to Jeuuett Agnew, daughter of 
James Agnew by his first wife, and they had nine children. 
His daughter Rebecca married George Van Emau, of Wash- 
ington county. Pa., in 177G, and their daughter Rebecca 
married Hon. Joseph Lawrence, of the same county, from 
whom descended Hon. George V. Lawrence and the other 
members of the well known Lawrence family of western 
Pennsylvania, so prominent in political councils. Mr. 
Scott died in 1819. 

Josiah Scott married Violet Foster in 17G0. They 
settled in what is now South Strabane township, Washing- 
ton county. Pa., in 1773. They had twelve children. Their 
son Alexander married Rachel, and their son Rev. Abraham 
married Rebecca, daughters of .John McDowell of North 
Strabane township. 

Mr. McDowell came to the county in 1773. His wife 
was a sister of David Bradford, one of the most prominent 
leaders in the Whiskey Insurrection. Mr. McDowell was 
one of the first commissioners of Washington county in 
1781, was a member of the legislature and associate judge 
of the county. 

Rev. Dr. McMillan preached his first sermon in the 



86 REV. JOHN SMITH FAMILY. 

county in the log house of Mr. McDowell. In the diary of 
Dr. McMillan, he says: '"1775, the fourth Sabbath of August, 
preached at John McDowell's (Chartiers Church). Monday 
rode aoout six miles to Patrick McCullough's on Pigeon 
creek, Tuesday preached at Arthur Forbes' (the first sermon 
in the bounds of the Pigeon creek Presbyterian Church) and 
lodged with Pati-ick Scott." 

John Scott, son of Josiah, married Isabella, daughter of 
Isaac Vance, who settled in what became Somerset town- 
ship about 1770; and Mary, daughter of Josiah, married 
William Cotton, and Betsy, Robert Stephenson, of two of 
the early pioneer families of the county. Mr. Scott and 
wife died of cholera in 1819. 

From these two brothers have come many of the promi- 
nent Scotts of western. Pennsylvania and Ohio, and other 
connections of different names, who have held high and 
Important positions in the professions and politics. 

Samuel Agnew, sou of James and Rebec<?a Scott 
Agnew, and nephew of Hugh and Josiah Scott, was married 
to Elizabeth .Johnston and settled in Chartiers township, 
Washington county. Pa., in 1780. He became the owner of 
two tracts of land, one called "Nantucket" of 403 acres, and 
one called "Strabane" of 321 acres. Some of his descend- 
ants yet live on the latter and in other parts of the county. 

Mr. Agnew was Justice of the Peace, and represented 
the county in the legislature in 1802-3-4 and 5. He was 
an elder- and trustee in the Chartiers Associate church. 
The Agnews traced their lineage to the Normau invaders of 
England through residents of Scotland and the North of 
Ireland. 



HUGH SCOTT FAMILY 87 

Anne Agnew was the youngest child oi James and 
Rebecca Scott Agnew, sister of Samuel Agnew and niece 
of Hugh and Josiah Scott, and was maiTied to Rev. John 
Smith May 12, 1772. 

They had nine children as follows: 

I. David Smith, boi-n February 27, 1773. 

II. Rebecca Smith, born March 20, 1775. 
ili. Ann Smith, born September 23, 1778. 

IV. Murray Smith, born April 23, 1782. 

V. James Agnew Smith, born September 3, 1787. 

VI. Harriet Smith, born June 28, 1789. 

VII. Julia Anna Smith, born August 16, 1791. 

VIII. Samuel Smith, born ,Jauuai-y 2, 1794. 

IX. John Hunter Smith, born December 4, 1794. 

Of these children no record has been found except Anne 
and James Agnew. Dr. John Hunter Smith is known to 
have married and had children, and he practiced medicine 
for some years near Canonsburg, Pa., but no descendants 
of his are known to be living. 



CHAPTER III. 



Smith-White Family. 



Aniie Smith was married to David White, a resident 
of Hanover township, Washington county, Pa. 

Mr. White's ancestors came from eastern Pennsylvania 
in 1773, and located some lands in Washington county. In 
later years the family had a large store near Paris in that 
county, and were people of influence. The following chil- 
dren were born to David and Anne Smith W^hite: 

I. Anne White married Dr. Hugh CaldAvell, one of 
whose daughters married Dr. Jones, and another Dr. Craw- 
ford, and live in western Ohio. 

II. Mary Gordon White married John Agnew. Chil- 
dren: Rebecca A., Washington F., .John Smith, David 
AVhite, Maria Jane, James R., Wallace Gordon. The latter 
two were soldiers in the Civil War, the latter serving in the 
Third Iowa Infantry, and lost an arm at the battle of 
Shiloh. 

III. Harriet White married John Nicholson in 1833, 
and had the following children: 

1. Rebecca married James McDonald and had two 
children, Harry and Minnie Brigham. 



SMITH- WHITE FAMILY. 89 



2. David married Jacintha Hanna. Children: David, 
Anna, Mrs. Cornelia Wlieelock, Mrs. Fannie McNutt, Lulu 
and Claude. 

8. John married Mary Gilbert and had three children. 
Lucy the only one living, who married Henry Seymour. 

4. Murray lives in Harlem, Montana. 

5. Wilkie, 6, Catherine deceased. 

7. Julia married James Hood. Children: William and 
Mrs. Lettie Harris. 

8. James lives in Barry, Illinois. 

9. Smith married Orena Johnson. Children: Edith, 
John, Emma, Harriet and Claude. 

10. Emmaretta married John Haselwood. Children: 
Mrs. Nellie Baker, Daniel, Lucy, and Gertrude died young. 

11. Charles was married and has two children, Charles 
and Harry. 

12. Nevada married B. F. Nance. Children; Cora, 
Frank, Maud, Ira. Cora married Jack Monahan. 

IV. Julia Ann White married John McElroy in 1831. 
He was born near Belfast, Ireland, in 1807, came to this 
country in 1819, and settled first in Baltimore and after- 
ward in Washington county, Pa. He moved from there in 
1839 to Rural Valley, Pa., where he engaged in general mer- 
chandising. He was long an active and efficient elder in 
the Presbyterian church, a man highly esteemed for his 
upright Christian character and intelligence. He moved to 
Clayton, 111., in 1869, where he died in 1879, his wife dying 
at Keokuk, la., in 1890. They had children as follows: 

John, Rebecca, Elizabeth C, William M. died while 
young. 



90 REV. JOHN SMITH FAMILY. 

1. Martha A. McElroy born November 11, 1833, married 
Henry Trollcuger 1863. Children: 

i. Annie married Rol)eri McParland, no children. 

ii. Robert married Miss McKelvey and had two 
children. 

ill. Mary. iv. John, v. Margaret. 

vi. Rebecca married Thos. B. Gradeu, Vandergrift, Pa., 
clerk in the shipping department of the Apollo Sheet Steel 
Co. The others lived at Rural Valley, Pa. 

2. David White McElroy born March 1, 1842. married 
Mary Baile.v in 1872. He enlisted August 27, 1861, in Co. A, 
78th Pa. Infantry and served until November 4, 1864; was 
in the battles of Stone River, where he was wounded in his 
right leg, Chickamauga, New Hope Church, and about 20 
minor engagements. He was a true soldier for his country 
and suffered much in its defense and protection. He is an 
active member of Torrence Post No. 2. G. A. R., of Iowa, 
served the post as adjutant three years, commander two 
years, and was Assistant Adjutant General Department of 
Iowa 1897-8. He Avas a delegate to the National Encamp- 
ment Pittsburg in 1894, St. Paul 1896, Buffalo 1897, and 
Cincinnati delegate at large in 1898. He moved from Penn- 
sylvania in 186(>. and located in KeokuK. la., where he has 
been in the foundry and machine shop business since 1869. 
Tliey have the following children: 

i. Mary, ii. Nannie, iii. Cora Belle died young, 
iv. John Alexander bpi-n March 31, 1875, is in business 
in Chicago. 

V. Nellie Margaretta born September 7, 1879, married 



SMITH -WHITE FAMILY. 91 

Henry Rix Collisson 1898, who is in business in Keokuk, 
la. Children: Sidney Dial and David McElroy. 

vi. David White born June 5, 1888. 

3. Robert Murray McElroy born March 28, 1846, served 
in the Fifth Pennsylvania Heavy Artillery from September 
1SH4 to July 1865. He contracted disease in the service and 
died May 4, 1866. 

4. John Alexander McElroy born June 30, 1848, mar- 
ried Lily W. Jones, Canton, Mo., June 6, 1880. Children: 
John Harrison, David White, Julia Anna, Robert Lee. 
Mr. McElroy went to Missouri in 1869, and moved to 
Keokuk, la., in 1890, where he is in business. He served 
in the Fifth Pennsylvania Heavy Artillery from September 
18(i4 to July 186.5. 

V. Murray A. White married Margaret G. Smith. See 
sketch in Smith-Wallace family. 

VI. John White died single. 

VII. David White married Mary B. Crane, youngest 
daughter of Rev. Simeon H. Crane, Presbyterian minister 
at Lexington, Ky., March 27, 1849. Children; Simeon 
Harrison born August 3, 1850, Harriet McCullough born 
September 18, 1852,Anna Burrows born November 18, 1854, 
David McCullough born January 1, 1857, and Frederick 
Crumbaugh White born July 13, 1860. 

VIII. Rebecca married Rev. James Brown, of Alyth, 
Scotland, no children. Rev. Brown by his first marriage to 
Miss Nancy T. Anderson, had 5 daughters, 3 dying young. 

1. Isabella marrieti Isaiah G. Moore and had 4 children, 
one living, Annie, a teacher in the Indian School, Carlisle, 
Pa. 



92 REV. JOHN SMITH FAMILY. 

2. Eliza J. married Dr. O. B. Given, pliysician at the 
Indian Scliool, Oarisle, Pa., and had children, James and 
John. 

IX. Jane married Nathaniel McCrea. Children: Anne, 
John Pressley, David W., William E., Cora and Walter. 
Cora married N. Messer, of Keokuk, la., and they now live 
in California. Children: Edith and Donald. 



CHAPTER IV. 



Smith-Wallace Family. 



James Agnew Smith married Martha Wallace, daugh- 
ter of Col. William Wallace, of Somerset township, Septem- 
ber 7, 1809. The ceremOuy was performed by Rev. Boyd 
Mercer, second pastor of the Pigeon Creek Presbyterian 
church, organized in 1775. He was called by this church 
April 22, 1794. 

Mr. Smith w^as educated for the ministry of the U. P. 
church, but followed the profession of teaching for a num- 
ber of years in the district schools. For some time he was 
a merchant in Williamsport, and later lived for three years 
on a farm in Union township. 

After that he moved to Greenfield, where he was in 
business for a while. He was a man greatly beloved 
because of his high character and practical piety. He was 
quiet and reserved, doing his duty faithfully as it was pre- 
sented to him. He died in 1860 at the home of his daugh- 
ter, Margaret G. White, his wife having died July 26, 1855. 
They had the following children: 

1. Elizabeth Wallace Smith born July 31, 1810, un- 
married. She was a noble Christian woman, a member of 



94 REV. JOHN SMITH FAMILY. 



the M. E. cliurch, and enjoyed the love of all who met and 
knew her. 

Some years after the death of her sister, Eleanor, wife 
of Francis Reader, she became an inmate of that family, 
and took the place of a mother in helpinc; to rear the 
children of her sister. There she remained until the chil- 
dren married and made homes of their own. and then 
became a member of the family of Eleanor M. Hertzog, the 
youngest child of Francis Reader where she died. These 
children always recognized the devotion and care of their 
aunt with gratitude. 

II. Margaret Greer Smith born August 17, 1813, mar- 
ried Murray A. White, son of David and Anne Smith White, 
November 17. 1831. Mr. White was a prominent business 
man in Allegheny, la., for several years, engaged as cabinet 
maker and undertaker, and was afterward in the coal busi- 
ness, later removing to California Pa., where he died July 
1, 1871, and his wife died Januaiy 10, 1890. They were 
consistent members of the M. E. church. They had the 
following children : 

1. David, .John Hunter, Julia Bell and Charles Murray 
died in infancy. 

2. Anna Martha married Smith C. Fry, and had two 
children, Herbert who died in infancy, and Anna Margaret. 
Mr. Fry is the grandson of Abraham and Hester Fry, who 
came from New Jersey to Fallowfield township, Washing- 
ton county. Pa., about the time of the Revolution. They 
had 10 children, of whom Thomas married Anna West, 
daughter of Samuel and Eunice West, of the same town- 
ship, and they had 12 children. Smith C. Fry being next to 



SMITH -WALLACE FAMILY. 95 

the youugest. Smith and his wife moved to Woodford 
county, 111., in December 18G(J, and engaged in farming, and 
in December 1899 moved to Sloan, Iowa. 

3. James A. S. White was nearly all his life a river- 
man. He was mate of several boats on the Monongahela 
river, and afterwax'd was on the locks, the later years of his 
life being in the employ of the U. S. Government at Lock 
No. 1, Pittsburg, Pa. His services were always held in high 
esteem, and he was a valuable and reliable man wherever 
called to work. 

At the breaking out of the Civil War, he enlisted April 
25, 1801, in Capt. Cooper's Co. G. 12th Pa., Monongahela 
City, Pa., for the 3 months service, and afterwards became 
a member of Co. D. 22nd Pa. Cavalry, one of the famous 
"Ringgold Battalion," in which he served for 3 years, 
making a service of 3 years and 3 months. 

He was a faithful soldier, always ready for duty, and 
always in active, service, possessing a genial, happy disposi- 
tion, which made him a universal favorite among his com- 
rades. There was no gloom when "Dixie," as the boys 
called him, was about, but good nature and innocent fun 
on his part, routed the blues and homesickness. 

Upon his return home he entered upon a life of unselfish 
devotion to his parents and family, and upon the death of 
tl'.e former, he and his brother and sister Hannah, formed 
a family that was unbroken until his death. They were 
all active and zealous members of the M. E. church, and 
true servants of their Divine Master. James was a promi- 
nent Odd Fellow, and a member of Post 3, Grand Army 
of the Republic, of Pittsburg. He was a noble man, as 



96 REV. JOHN SMITH FAMILY. 

true as character can make a good man, and one who 
deserves honor at the hands of the country he served so 
well. He died July 29, 1900. 

4. Hannah Morrison lives in Pittsburg, Pa. 

5. Murray Agnevp lives in Pittsburg, Pa. 

III. Julia Ann R. Smith born August 22, 1815, married 
Jolm H. Storer December 26, 1845. Mr. Storer was a mem- 
ber of one of the old Nottingham township families, his 
mother being a daughter of John Holcroft. They were a 
family of high character, and ability, some of their descend- 
ants having achieved considerable prominence in the pro- 
fessions and in business. They had two children: 

1. Martha Pocahontas Storer, who married James 
Scott, making their home in Omaha, Neb. Their children 
were Julia Ann, John and Charles. 

2. Kate Storer, who also married, but no record is 
known of the family. 

IV. Eleanor Bentley Smith born October 14, 1817, mar- 
ried Francis Reader. See sketch under head of Reader 
family. 

V. Frances Bentley Smith born July 24, 1820, married 
Dr. Joseph R. Crouch April 29, 1845. Dr. Crouch was born 
November 5, 1816, was an elder in Glade Run Presbyterian 
church, and physician at the Soldiers' Orphan School, Day- 
ton, Armstong county, Pa. He was a man of high character 
and eminent in his profession. He died October 7, 1882, 
and Mrs. Crouch died April '6, 1901. They had five children, 
three dying in infancy. 

1. Wallace Hunter Crouch born March 17, 1854, mar- 
ried Miss Madge Beck September 17, 1885. They have no 



SMITH -WALLACE FAMILY. 97 

childreu. Mrs. Crouch is the daughter of Frederick Beck 
born in Germany March 12, 1823, and Savilla S. Beck born 
in Kittanning, Fa., November 24, 1830. Mr. Crouch is a 
druggist, now residing at Ford City, P>a. 

2. Daniel Ogden Crouch born July 15, 1856, married 
Miss Missouri Goodheart August 8, 1876. Her father, Dr. 
George Goodheart, was born in Centre county, Pa., and 
settled in Dayton, Pa., in 1848. He was the founder of 
Dayton Union Academy, and died October 5, 1852, his wife, 
Eliza Goodheart, dying March 23, 1900. 

Mr. and Mrs. Crouch live at Ford City, Pa., and have 
the following children: Freta Vigne born August 2, 1877, 
Frances Elizabeth born July 24, 1879, Florida Bernice born 
January 31, 1882, Frank Wallace and Fern Dell born 
February 5, 1885, Laura born May 15, 1888, Joseph Ram- 
sey born January 8, 1891, George Preston born May 26, 1893, 
Ruth Margaret born December 30, 1897. 

VI. William Wallace Smith born July 22, 1822, died 
July 1, 1825. 

VII. Charles BoUman Smith was born March 5, 1825, 
and died September 10, 1897. He married Mary Samuels 
March 20, 1848, and had the following children: 

1. James Agnew Smith, railroad carpenter, Conuells- 
ville, Pa., married Lizzie Grey. Children: Charles, Bessie, 
Mary, Kate and Julia. 

2. Kate Elizabeth Smith, Duquesne, Pa., married Wil- 
liam Conlin, who died April 9, 1896. Children: Sarah A., 
graduate California, Pa., Normal School, Mary L., Joseph, 
Charles and Hazel. 

3. John Wallace Smith in the National Rolling Mill, 



98 REV. JOHN SMITH FAMILY.. 

McKeespoi't, Pa., married Carrie Smith. Cliildreu: Mary, 
Kate, Edith and Charles, all dying in infancy except 
Charles. 

6. Margaret, not married. 

Martha Wallace and George Bentley Smith died in 
infancy. 

VIII. Rebecca Hibelia Smith born October 26, 1827, 
married Gad H. Tower April 19, 1849, and had the following 
children: 

1. Ada May Tower married Daniel Cable and had one 
son Gustiue Cable. 

2. William Tower. 

3. Harry Tower. 
Birdie died in infancy. 

Mr. Tower was the son of Edward Tower, a prominent 
teacher in the Monongahela Valley in the early part of the 
19th century, a native of Pennsylvania, who married 
Martha Cook, granddaughter of Col. Edward Cook, of 
Fayette county, one of the most prominent men in the 
Revolutionary period in the history of the valley. 

IX. William Hunter Smith born March 24, 1830. 

X. Martha Anne Smith born May 23, 1833, married 
John S. Stanger. They moved to Illinois, thence to Denver, 
Col., where Mr. Stanger was editor and proprietor of the 
"Colorado Farmer," agriculturist and State Senator. He 
served in the Civil War in the 100th Pa. (Roundhead) regi- 
ment, for three years. Their children were: Lillian Stan- 
ger, married George Trevette, and had children Mary, Lily 
and Lucille: Frederick, Anna. Newton. 



lY. 



The Reader Family, 



I r ,'^ 



CHAPTER I. 



The Reader Family. 



The earliest record we have of the Readers, is through 
Thomas Palmer, whose family owned the Ravenshaw 
estate near Solihull, Warwickshire, England. Here Wil- 
liam Palmer, second son of Thomas, was born in November 
1691. He married Elizabeth Knight, of Ipsley, same 
county, in 1717. They had eight children, of whom three 
were married as follows: 

I. Mary born in 1719, married Samuel Reader, Jr., who 
had no children. 

II. Martha bom 1732, married Rev. James Kettle, who 
was pastor for forty years of the Dissenting Congregation, 
High, street, Warwick. He died at Warwick April 13, 1800, 
and his wife died at Goventiy April 9, 1814, both being 
buried in Alderminster church near Stratford-on-Avon. 
They had no children. 

III. Elizabeth born 1721, became the second wife of 
Samuel Reader, Sr., of Tanworth, father of the Samuel 
Reader by his first wife, who married Mary Palmer. They 
moved to Honily, in Warwickshire, where they had seven 
children, two of whom were married, as follows: 



102 THE READER FAMILY. 

1. Hannah born February 1758, married John William- 
son, of Coventry, who was a builder and contractor of that 
city, and later became a magistrate and its Mayor. They 
had five children. 

William born November 1752, married Mary White, of 
High Cross, Rowington, in 1782. Mary White was the 
daughter of Elizabeth Nason and Joseph White, who were 
married August 17, 1746. Elizabeth Nason was the daugh- 
ter of Thomas Nason and Elizabeth Wberritt, who were 
married October 15, 1715, at St. Mary's Church, Warwick. 
All lived at Rowington in Warwickshire. 

In 1784 William Reader and family moved from Row- 
ington to Honily, which lies about three miles west of 
Kenilworth, and about five miles northwest of Warwick. 
The Ravenshaw estate at Solihull, is about fifteen miles 
west of Kenilworth. The descendants of these families 
wei'e to be found in Warwick, Coventi-y, Kenilworth, 
Honily, Wraxall, Birmingham, Stratford-on-Avon, etc. 

William Reader determined to go to America, and sold 
his farming stock by auction at Honily on Monday and 
Tuesday March 12 and 1?., 1804. He took with him to his 
new home all his family except his eldest son, William. 

They left Liverpool, England, June 11, 1804, on the 
American ship "Washington," and reached Philadelphia, 
Pa,. August 15, after a voyage of 65 days, part of which 
was very stormy and dangerous. 

The family remained in the neighborhood of Philadel- 
phia for some weeks, and while here Mr. Reader wrote a 
very interesting letter to his son William about the people 
in that section, which is worthy of preseiwation, as show- 



WILLIAM READER. 103 

ing the impressions our coutttiT made on the minds of these 
English people. 

He said in part: "The people here live comfortable and 
happy, and every person is well dressed and fed. I have 
not seen a beggar or person of miserable appearance, such 
as your unhappy country abounds with. There is not the 
haughty ways in the rich, nor miserable servility in the 
poor, but all converse on an equality; and the working peo- 
ple are much better informed, and speak better language, 
than in England. Every one here let his profession be 
what it will, may support a family, however numerous, 
with credit and decency, and lay up something for a rainy 
day. What a striking contrast between this and England! 
There it has cost me many a bitter heartache to see a man 
covered with rags, slaving for a scanty pittance of bread 
and water, to support a miserable family, without the least 
prospect of being relieved from it for the remainder of his 
life." 

In the fall he bought a wagon and ^ome horses and 
started for Pittsburg, undergoing the hardships incident to 
the traveling of that day over the mountains, and through 
the wilderness evei-y where, but reaching the goal of his 
long journey happy in the thought of founding a home of 
his own, and for his children, among the people of the free 
and promising new country. From this point, then a mere 
village, he made inquiries for land, and traveled many 
miles in different directions, to find a site for a home. 

Among the other places he visited was the "Forks of the 
Beaver," at the junction of the Mahoning and Shenango 
rivers in Lawrence county. Pa., where the old Indian town 



104 THE READER FAMILY. 

of Kuskuskee ouce stood, passing along the old Indian trail 
up the Beaver, through the present town of New Brighton, 
and the now prosperous valley of the Beaver, then almost 
a continuous wilderness, with but few homes of white men. 

Here he found a 'new settlement,' of which he says: 
"We found the people vei-y iX)or, lived in worse huts than 
we ever saw and very few of the conveniences of life about 
them. Their chief employment is hunting. They will take 
a rifle on their shoulders and be out in the woods for 
several days and nights together hunting deer and wild 
beasts. When the place begins to grow they sell the 
improvements and go back, and people who are more 
industrious and civilized fill up their places." He remained 
there eight days and then returned to Pittsburg, not caring 
to settle among so migratory and uncivilized a people. 

After returning to Pittsburg, he looked at several 
improved plantations, and finally selected one on the 
Monongahela river, in Nottingham township, Washington 
county. Pa. It contained over 200 acres, for which he was 
to pay eight dollars per acre. He entered into an article of 
agreement February 1, 1805, to purchase it. 

He described its improvements in a letter to his sou, as 
'a new house which cost $1,000, a bai'u, stable and some 
other outbuildings, and a whiskey distilleiy, which proved 
the ruin of the family (that once owned it and built the 
distillery) for they all but two died by the love of it.' He 
located the plantation as "fifteen miles from Pittsburg, 15 
from Washington, and 19 from Redstone, all market towns. 
It is about three miles above Elizabeth on the opposite side 
and al)out a mile from the river. It is a very thickly 



WILLIAM READER. 105 

settled part of the country, there are four corn mills within 
two miles of it, a saw mill, a Presbyterian meeting house, 
twelve stills for whiskey, a tanyard, a porter brewery, and 
what I prize as much as any of them, a very good school 
within half a mile of the house. We have two Englishmen 
for next neig'hboi's, one Wm. Castleman and wife, and the 
other .John Holcroft from Lancashire, Eng., who came to 
this country before the Revolution." 

.John Holcroft was a prominent figure in the Whiskey 
Insurrection, and was at one time reputed to be the notori- 
ous "Tom the Tinker" of that period, which was afterwards 
found to be incorrect. Mr. Reader liad great faith in Mr. 
Holcroft, and turned to him as the adviser of his family in 
his property interests, while he made a business ti'ip to his 
old home in England. From that time the two families 
Avere close friends, and intermarriages occurred among 
their descendants. Mr. Reader died in 1808, and the prop- 
erty was deeded to his widow, Mary Reader, and their 
children, May 27, 181L 

William and Mary White Reader had the following chil- 
dren : 

I. William Reader born at Rowington, December 28, 
1782, was a printer at Coventiy and London, and editor of 
the "Coventi-y Mercury" for several years. He was 
educated at Warwick. He married Elizabeth Hadley, of 
Coventry, May 0, 1815, and had four children: William born 
September IG. 1810, Harriet born February 10, 1818, Eliza- 
beth born March 4, 1821, and Charles born February 23, 
1824. William Reader remained in England, when his 
father moved to the United States. 



CHAPTER 11. 



Reader-Wallace. 



II. Elizabeth Reader was born at Kowington, Eng- 
land, April 18, 1784, and married Robert Wallace March 17, 
1807. He was the son of John Wallace, who was born in 
Connty Antrim, Ireland, about 1750, and came to this coun- 
try about 1772-73. In 1778 he married Mary Alexander, 
probably of Cumberland county, Pa., and about the close 
of the Revolutionary war they moved to western Pennsyl- 
vania, and settled on Peters Creek, near the line between 
Washington and Allegheny counties. They had eight chil- 
dren, two of whom, Robert and William, married two of 
the daughters of William Reader. They had a large 
amount of land in what is now Butler and Lawrence coun- 
ties. 

Robert Wallace was born in Nottingham township in 
1782. After his marriage, they remained in Washington 
county two years and then moved to his property in Slip- 
pery Rock where they lived until 1827, and then settled on 
his property in Lawrence county, where be died February 
12, 1847. He was a soldier of the war of 1812. 



READER-WALLACE. 107 



Robert and Elizabeth Wallace, bad tbe following chil- 
dren : 

W. R., Martha and John died in infancy. 

1. Mary Wallace box'n October 10, 1809, married 
Andrew Robinson, who had one daughter, Sarah, wife of 
Silas Stevenson, M. D., Elwood, Pa. 

2. Harriet Wallace born February 17, 1811, married 
John Leeper, who had children as follows: John, William, 
Henry R., Edward, and Mrs. Eliza Ken*. 

3. William Reader Wallace born October 29, 1812, mar- 
ried Isabella McCracken, of Londonderry, Ireland, January 
16, 1836, to whom were born: 

i. Robert Wallace bom July 2, 1837, married Sarah 
Young November 2, 1859, their children being Mrs. Jane 
Wallace OfEutt born August 19, 1800, William R. born April 
26, 1863, died April 15, 18(!4, Isabella born March 7, 1865, 
D. G. born July 24, 1867, married Alsepha Morrison, W. W. 
born September 15, 1869, Elizabeth G. born January 27, 
1872, Robert B. born January 7, 1874, died May 9, 1875, 
Frank H. born September 19, 1876. 

ii. Jacob Wallace born May 28, 1839, married Anna 
Biirk July 4, 1874. Children: Robert born September 4, 
1875, Mary E. born February 16, 1878. He was in the 100th 
Pennsylvania regiment during the Civil War. 

iii. William Wallace born April 28, 1842, married 
Amanda Wigton August 27, 1864. Children: Dr. Charles 
Reader born October 13, 1866, Wilbert born May 2, 1865, 
Anne Belle born October 20, 1871. He was in the 134th 
Pennsylvania regiment in the Civil War. 

iv. John Wallace born May 8, 1846, married Nancy Gil- 



108 THE READER FAMILY. 

more January 8, 1870. Cliildren: Mrs. Elizabeth R. Coyne 
born May 3, 1870, Harry G. born October 14, 1872, Mary 
Belle born February 20, 1874. died .June 25, 1874, Annie Isa- 
bella born June 30, 187G. 

V. (Teorge McC. Wallace born September 18, 1848, mar- 
ried Nancy I. Rankin February 23, 1875. Children: Sarah 
A. born December 11, 1875, Elizabeth I. born September 
12, 1877, Thomas G. born September 22, 1879, Mary E. born 
February 2. 1882, Viola O. born October 9, 1883, Wm. R. 
born August 2, 1880, Maud M. born December 23. 1890. 

vi. Mary E. Wallace born January 8, 1852, married 
Georg-e Thompson January 8, 1882. Children: Jane W. 
born January 11, 1880, Wesley W. born June 27, 1889, Anna 
Belle born December 15. 1890. 

4. Elizabeth Wallace born April 4. 1814, married Jacob 
McCracken. Children: 

i. George W. McCracken born January 30, 1838, mar- 
ried Mary E. McCready. no children. In May 1801. Mr. 
McCracken enlisted as a private in the Tenth Pennsylvania 
Reserves, and was mustered out as adjutant June 11. 1804. 
He received the appointment of Lieutenant Colonel of the 
191st Pennsylvania regiment June 1804, and vs'as discharged 
on account of wounds received at Cold Harbor. He was 
a civil engineer by profession, and was for many years 
editor of the LaAvrence Guardian, New Castle, Pa. 

ii. Elizabeth McCracken born May 15, 1839. 
iii. Jacob W. McCracken born February 2, 1841, served 
in the Sixth Pennsylvania Artillery 1864-65. 

iv. Robert W. McCracken born May 31, 1843, married 
Matilda J. Ellis. He was in the Civil War and was 
wounded at Spottsylvania. 



READER-WALLACE. 109 

V. Isabelle V. McCracken born August 17, 1845, married 
William C. Stewart. 

vi. Mary Jane McCracken born March 1, 1848, married 
David W. Stewart. 

vii. Sarah M. McCracken born May 9, 1850. 

viii. William F. McCracken born February 21, 1853, 
married Catherine Peebles. 

ix. Rosanna H. McCracken born October 22, 1855. 

X. Margaret A. McCracken born September 19, 1858. 

5. Sarah Wallace born April 23, 1816, married Rev. 
John McComb. Children: Robert W. Mrs. Elizabeth Holli- 
day, William R., Mrs. Sarah Uber. Mrs. Mary A. Uber, Mx*s. 
Annie Dennison, John W. 

6. Robert Wallace born August 18. 1818, married Anna 
Maria Pence January 15, 1846. Children: 

i. Catherine born February 19. 1848, married Morris 
B. Robinson, M. D., who had children: Mrs. Anna Belle 
Hezlep. Francis Robinson. 

ii. Elizabeth born August 25, 1851, married J. G. 
Mitcheltree. 

iii. Samuel born August 5, 1853. 

iv. Robert S. born April 6, 1856, married Mary Mitchel- 
tree. Children: Pearl, Jane, Anna M., Ida Elmira. 

V. William H. born December 5, 1859. 

vi. Anna Jane boni December 7. 1862, married D. M. 
Hoffmastei'. 

vii. James G. born September 23, 1865. 

7. Jane born March 24, 1826, marx-ied Mr. Cooper. 

III. Harriet Reader born at Honily, September 3, 1185, 
where the family moved in 1784. She never married. 



110 THE READER FAMILY. 

VI. Martha Reader born January 20, 1790, unmarried. 

VII. Mai-y Reader born January 28, 1792, was married 
in 1817 to William Wallace, born August 26, 1794, who was 
a brother of Robert Wallace who married Elizabeth Reader. 
Children: 

1. Harriet Reader Wallace born March 1.5, 1818. 

2. Maria W. Wallace born. February 13, 1819, married 
Thomas Liston and had two children, Margaret and 
Angeline. 

3. Louisa Wallace born August 26, 1820. 

4. Sarah Wallace born May 18, 1822, mairied Mr. 
Bisohoff. 

5. Henry Reader Wallace born February 17, 1824, mar- 
ried Catherine Grant August 24, 1859. Children: Elizabeth, 
Francis Reader married Joan Giles November 1892, Edward 
Price, Henry Seymour, Joseph Peter. 

6. Francis Reader Wallace born January 28, 1826, mar- 
ried Anne Grant in 1864. Children: William H., Anna 
Maria, Francis Marion, Elizabeth C, Daisy, Leila Ada. 

7. Edwin M. Wallace born February 28, 1828, married 
Jane Wilson 1869. Children: Lena, and two died in infancy. 

8. Charles Reader Wallace born June 25, 1880, mar- 
ried Elizabeth Rhodes 1861. 

9. Mary Jane Wallace born August 26, 1835, died 
January 10, 1842. 

VIII. Henry Reader born January 28, 1792, died Sep- 
tember 25, 1796. 

IX. Sarah Reader born January 26, 1795, died October 
21, 1796. 



CHAPTER IV. 



James-Charles Reader. 



IV. James Reader born February 27, 1787, was mar- 
ried to Sarah Daily August G, 1812, by George Beutley, Esq. 
Slie was a resident of Nottingham township, whose ances- 
tors came to the county as early as 1773, and were promi- 
nent among the early settlers of that section. Their chil- 
dren were: 

1. William Reader born .Tune 15, 1813, died June 18, 
1813. 

2. Eliza Reader born February 4, 1815, died August 
23, 1830. 

3. William Reader born July 23, 1816, was married 
and had four children, James, Martha, Mary, Sarah. 

4. Mary Reader born August 5, 1815, married Absalom 
Bentley, of one of the old families of the county. They 
had three children, Sarah Jane, Josephine, Rachel. 

5. Julia Reader born January 16, 1821. 

6. Jemima Reader born July 16, 1822, died August 27, 
1830. 

7. James Reader born September 9, 1824. 

8. Sarah Reader born August 12, 1826, died January 
1, 1827. 



112 THE READER FAMILY. 

9. Charles B. Reader born December 10, 1827, was 
x'eared by his uucle, Charles Reader, of Indiana. He mar- 
ried Elizabeth Gillam December 25, 1849, and had the 
following children: 

i. William H. Reader, physican New Amsterdam, Ind., 
born November 4, 1850, married Kate Wilson and had two 
children, Georgia and James. He again married. Lucy 
Dawson, and had five children, Maud, William, Benjamin, 
Katherine, Dudley. 

ii. Sarah E. Reader born March 2, 1853, married Wil- 
liam Rippardan February 9, 1873, and had one child, Zaida 
born January 9, 1880. died April 4, 1882. 

iii. Martha Jane Reader born June 13, 1861, married 
Charles W. Thomas, engineer, May 3, 1891, and had chil- 
dren, Elizabeth R. and Sarah F. 

10. Henry Reader born April 14, 1830, moved to Ken- 
tucky. 

The family lived below West Elizabeth, Pa., where 
James Reader died October 13, 1830. 

V. Charles Reader was born July 1, 1788, and mar- 
ried Sarah Applegate, of Washington county. Pa., July 
1818. He went to Indiana in 181() and settled on 160 acres 
of government land which he improved and lived upon 
until his death November 10, 1858. He was a man of good 
education, and held offices of trust for about twenty years. 

Sarah Applegate was born in Washington county, Pa., 
1786, and died September 1864, the daughter of William 
and Mary Applegate, pioneers of that county. They had 
the following children: 

1. William Reader born April 13, 1819, was a graduate 



JAMES-CHARLES READER. 113 



of the Indiana State University and of the Louisville, Ky., 
Medical College, and began the practice of medicine in 
1842, when he married Catharine I. Heath, of Corydon, Ind., 
where he settled. Tliey had five children: Edwin H., Char- 
les H., Richard H., Anna E., Laura M. 

Charles married Rose Wilson and had two daughters 
Sadie and Laura. 

Laura married Victor J. Bulleit and had two children, 
Rose K. and Sarah P. 

2. Charles Reader was born September 15, 1821, 
received a public school education, lived on his father's 
farm which he purchased at his father's death, until 1870, 
when he sold it and moved to Mauckport, Ind., where he 
died in 1896, never having married. 

3. Henry Reader was born August 31, 1823, in Harri- 
son county, Ind., attended public school and the University 
of Indiana at Bloomington, studied medicine with his 
brother, William, and was a student at the Medical College 
Louisville, Ky. He married Sarah A. Darter, Mauckport, 
Ind., in 1849, practiced medicine there for 15 years, moved 
to Marshall county. 111., in 1867, and to York, Neb., in 1883, 
where he died October 28, 1895. They had children: 

i. William Henry Reader born October 20, 1852, 
Laconia, Ind., attended public school and Aibingdon College, 
111., married Alice H. Vincent February 11, 1880. They 
moved to Nebraska, settling on a farm south of York where 
they remained until 1890, when he was elected county 
clerk, serving for 6 years, after which he engaged in busi- 
ness in York, moving in 1901 to Carthage, Mo. Their chil- 
dren were: Frank Edwin born April 7, 1883, Mabel Olive 



114 THE READER FAIMILY. 

born May 2, 1S85, Wilton Kenney born February 14, 1890, 
and Helen Vincent born. April 19, 1892. Two children died 
in infancy. 

ii. Lafayette Darter Reader was oorn at Mauckport. 
Ind., Fel)rnary l(i, 1855. -He is unmarried and lives at 
York, Neb. 

iii. Minerva Darter Reader born July 9. 1857, married 
Daniel N. Blood. Henry, 111., February 1<|, 187G. and moved 
to a farm in York county, Neb. Cliildren: 

Minerva Reader born .January 22, 1877. married .T. R. 
Barnes November 20. 1895, and liave one son Harry B. 
Barnes born February 19. 1897. 

Mary Alice liorn August 27, 1879, married Herbert T. 
Bone March 3, i900, shippng clerk for the Booth Packing 
Co., Sioux Cit.v, la. 

Charles Reader born May 1, 1888, and Daniel H. born 
July 5, 1892. 

iv. Anna Cora Reader born October 20, 1803. married 
William S. Calef, Henry, 111., September 10, 1882. moved to 
Nebraska in 1883, and later went to Chicago, where he is 
employed by the Swift Packing Co. Children: Sewall born 
April 31, 1884, Harry Reader born November 21, 1886, Elsie 
Geneva born October 18. 1889, Fred Clark born June 1, 1893, 
Laura Augusta born March 22, 1898. 

V. Edwin Scott Reader born June 7, 1865, was train 
dispatcher for a number of years on the Chicago & Alton 
R. R., in Illinois, and on other roads in Nebraska. In 1899 
he enlisted in the U. S. Signal corps, served 2 years in the 
Philippines, was discharged October 15, 1901, and was 
appointed auditor of telegraph reports and accounts for the 
Philippine Islands, which he now holds. 



JAMES-CHARLES READER. 115 

vi. Augusta Tlirasher Reader was born at Mauckport, 
Ind., August 7, 1867, is a graduate of York, Neb., high school, 
and is employed as a stenographer in that place. 

4. Mary Reader was born June 11, 1825, and married 
Isaac Love, a prominent attorney of Corydou, Ind., where 
she lived until her death in September 1852. Mr. Love was 
a graduate of the Indiana State University and Law 
School at Bloomington, Ind., beginning practice about 1840, 
and died in 1859. Tliey had one daughter, Agnes. 

5. Elizabeth Reader was born October 31, 1828, and 
died in 1840. 

(5. James M. Reader was born Februaxy 17, 1830, and 
married Laura V. Carroll. He was a graduate of the 
Indiana State University, and engaged in the dry goods 
business at Mauckport, Ind., afterwards moving to New 
Cambria, Mo., where he was in the grocery business. They 
had three children: Walter C, Emma A., Benjamin F. 

Emma A. married Daniel Sherman and had one son, 
Benjamin. 

James M. married a second time and had three chil- 
dren, Charles, Maud, Chyler. 

7. Benjamin F. Reader was born October 31, 1833, was 
educated in the common schools and engaged in mer- 
chandising. He married Sarah McCarty September 1860, 
and they had one daughter, Jessie, who married William 
Jeffries and -had four children. 

8. Sarah E. Reader was born April 2, 1836. She was 
educated in the seminary at Mauckport, Ind., and married 
Henry Fechyeu, a merchant of that place, September 9, 
1860, and had five children, Charles J., William H., Laura 
M., John B., Benjamin K. 



116 THE READER FAMILY. 

Laura M. married Daniel Sherman, now postmaster at 
Maucliport, Ind., February 28, 1883, and liad tliree chil- 
dren, Lee F., Sarah E., George R. 

9. Agues A. Reader born September 30, 1839, was 
educated in the schools at Mauckport, and married John P. 
Beard, a merchant of that place, January 11, 18G0. They 
moved to York, Neb., buying a farm there, where they now 
reside. 

They had six children: 

Cora born February 17, 1SG2, married Merrit A. Green, 
in business at Rossland, B. C. 

Charles R. born May 10, 1SG4, lives in York, Neb. 

Jesse S. born September 25, 1807, in business in San 
Francisco, Cal. 

John F. born June 18, 1870. lives in York. Neb. 

Maud born March 28, 1876, lives in York, Neb. 

Lee O. born November 11, 1879. 



CHAPTER IV. 



Henry Reader-George Trumbo. 



X.^ Henry Reader born October 2, 1796, married Mrs. 
Margaret Kountz in, 1839. Their children were: 

1. James born May 27, 1840, married Miss Miriam 
Burns May 27, 1862 Children: 

i. Francis Albert born February 10, 1863, was twice 
married, childi-en. Earl, Emmett, Raymond. 

ii. Olivia born October 6, 1866, married George Phillips, 
children, Osessa Overa, Pearl Elizabeth. 

iii. Charles W. born August 12, 18b9. 

iv. Nellie born August 10, 1871. 

V. James Melvin born March 20, 1875, married Annie 
E. Brown, and has one child, Mildred Glades. 

vi. Henry Wilford born August 1, 1877. 

vii. Mary born August 18, 1879, married Chas. Fogle. 

James Reader volunteered in the U. S. service October 
16, 1862. serving as second sergeant In Co. G. 68th Penn- 
sylvania Volunteers, and was discharged July 24, 1863. 

2. Henry Reader born February 24, 1842, died May 14, 
1865. 

3. Milo E. Reader born 1844, married Miss Caroline 
Knapper. Children: 



118 THE READER FAMILY.- 

i. William H. born May 8, 1867, married Nannie Zort- 
man. 

ii. Annie H. born April 3, 1870, died August 28, 1894. 

iii. Martha born September 16, 1872. 

iv. Margaret E. born August 5, 1875, married Elijah 
Baker. 

V. Carrie A. born February 26, 1878. 

vi. Clara P. born June 29, 1880. 

vii. Sarah born September 9, 1883, died November 13, 
1883. 

viii. Grace L. born November 18, 1884. 

ix. Mary D. born February 2, 1892. 

X. Eva A. born July 29, 1894. 

4. Harriet Reader born .June 8, 1847, married A. G. 
Dunlap. Children: Henry, Walter, Albert, Olive, Hallie, 
Ira, Zora, Thalia, Lolo. The mother died May 24, 1898. 

5. Margaret Reader born January 30, 1850, married 
Daniel Stout December 13, 1871, and had one son, Theodore, 
born September 1, 1873, 

6. Francis Reader born September 5, 1852, died 
February 14, 1855. 

These families all lived in Beaver county. Fa. 

XI. Francis Reader born September 23, 1798. 
See sketch in later chapters. 

XII. Sarah Reader born June 11, 1800, married George 
Trumbo January 11, 1827. 

Mr. Trumbo was born in Allegheny county. Pa., April 
30, 1794, in a log house on the old plantation, part of wliich 
is yet standing. He afterward built a large brick house, in 
which he died June 10, 1876, Mrs. Trumbo dying July 28, 



HENRY READER-GEORGE TRUMBO. 119 

1876. Mr. Trilinbo was of German descent, his father, John 
Trumbo, being one of the early settlers in that part of the 
county adjoining- Washington county, where he owned 
several plantations. 

Mr. Trumbo was a soldier of the war of 1812. He and 
wife were members of the English Lutheran church. 

They had the following children: 

1. Harriet Reader Trumbo born July 11. 1828, unmar- 
ried. 

2. Eliza W. Trumbo born September 2, 1830, married 
John Stout June 23, 1859, and had the following children: 

i. Harriet C. married Adam Forsythe, children: Charles 
E., William J., Grace Clara. 

ii. Charles E. married Lizzie McGowan. Children: 
Cordelia, Mabel E. He was superintendent of a boatyard 
at Homestead. Pa., when he died aged 32. 

ill. William W. married Martha Lloyd. Children: Flor- 
ence. Roy, Mereda. 

iv. .Teaunette M. married Louis Roos, and had one son, 
Joseph Lester. 

V. f^rank Reader married Anna V. Cook. Children: 
Eva, Eliza W., Jean M., Vera C. He is superintendent of a 
steel works at Duquesue, Pa. 

vi. Sarah E. died July 22, 1890, aged 19. 

vii. George L. died December 29, 1893, aged 18. 

The father, John Stout, died June 11, 1884, and Mrs. 
Stout August 8, 1893. 

3. Wellington Trumbo was born June 2, 1832, unmar- 
ried. 

4. Gilbert N. Trumbo born August 17, 1835, married 



120 THE READER FAMILY. 

Miss Lavina Garrett December 29, 1864, and had the follow- 
ing children: 

i. Alice C. married John Bower. 

ii. John S. unmarried. 

iii. Ida M. married Wm. Wickham and they have one 
son. 

iv. Grace married Israel Wakefield, and have one son, 
Gilbert I. 

V. James Duff unmarried. 

Mr. Trumbo died September 20, 1887. 

5. Clarissa V. Trumbo born May 28, 1838, unmarried. 

Also one son and one daughter who died in infancy. 

XIII. Edwin Reader born May 25, 1802, married Cathe- 
rine Mellinger in 1834, and had no children. 



CHAPTER V. 



Francis Reader-Catherine James. 



Francis Reader was reared on the farm in Notting- 
ham townsliip, and learned the trade of carpenter and mill- 
wright. Being of a studious turn of mind, and especially 
fond of mathematics, in which he was very proficient, he 
learned civil engineering. He often told of his facilities for 
study, when after the day's work was over, he lay before 
the fireplace with pine knots burning for a light, and 
studied the few books he had, until he thoroughly mastered 
them. 

April 14, 1839, he was commissioned Justice of the 
Peace of Union, township, formed from Nottingham, the 
first Justice in the township, whch he resigned to go to 
Greenfield, now Coal Centre, in the same county. Here he 
followed his trade of carpenter for more than twenty years. 

In his new home at Greenfield, he held the office of 
Justice of the Peace for seven terms, being elected 
June 11, 1S44, April 10, 1849, April 11, 1854, April 10, 1860, 
April 9, 1867, April 2, 1872, and January 19, 1874, In all about 
thirty-two years. He heard but comparatively few law suits 



122 THE READER FAMILY. 

in that time, his custom being when litigants came before 
him. to endeavor to have them settle their disputes without 
going to law. This made him popular as a peace maker, 
but it was a failure as a fee gatherer. On October 28, 18G2, 
he was elected Deputy Surveyor General, now County Sur- 
veyor, of Washington county. Pa., in which office he served 
for three years. 

For many years of the latter part of his active life, he 
followed the business of civil engineer, particularly in coal 
lands and coal banks, his work oeing regarded as so correct, 
that what he did was held as final and binding. Nearly 
all the old coal lines and mines about Coal Centre, were 
laid out by him. He also prepared deeds and other work 
in that line, in connection with his office work. 

He Avas a member of the Presbyterian church, and a 
prominent Mason. During the Civil War he was a War 
Democrat, both of his sons, and two sous in law, serving 
their country in that war. In his closing years he lived 
with his daughter, Martha W. Morgan, at Belle Vernon, 
Pa., where he died April 20, 1884, and was buried in Howe's 
cemetery near Coal Centre. 

Francis Reader and Catherine James were married 
December 25, 1832. She was born March 3, 1804, and was 
the daughter of William .lames, a farmer of Nottingham 
township. His father, Richard James, was born in 1733, 
and married Eliza1)eth .Smith in 17G0, and had ten children. 
His ancestors were English and came to America in the 
latter part of the seventeenth century. William James 
married Elizabeth Gallagher, of Scotch-Irish descent, and 
thev had eleven children. He served as a fifer during the 



FRANCIS READER. 123 



Revolution until towards its close, and then as Orderly 
Sergeant. 

Crumriue's History of Washington county, Pa., says of 
this family: "Richard James, of Upper Freehold, Monmouth 
county, N. J., purchased of Gabriel Cox April 25, 1780, 505 
acres of land, in which was included the whole of the tract 
called 'Coxbury' and part of 'Cox's Addition.' " This land 
was in Nottingham township, which he divided equally 
between his two sons, Robert born February 10, 17G2, and 
William James born January 22, 1764. Robert James 
married Catherine Gallagher, of Allegheny county, a sister 
of Elizabeth who married William James. 

To Francis and Catherine Reader were born, Eliza 
Matilda Reader December 15, 1833, and Samuel James 
Reader January 25, 1836. The mother died May 19, 1836. 
The children were taken to La Harpe, 111., by their maternal 
aunt, Eliza James, in 1841, and moved to Indianola, Kansas 
May 26, 1855. Here they selected claims of 160 acres of 
land each, for which they received U. S. patents in 1857, 
and still own the farms. 

READER-CAMPDORAS. 

Eliza M. Reader was married to Dr. M. A. Campdoras at 
Indianola, Kansas February 22, 1858, and to them were 
born the following children: 

1. Leon S. Campdoras born October 21, 1858. 

2. J. Katherine Campdoras born June 25, 1860. 

3. Frank Reader Campdoras born April 2, 1862, who 
was married to Miss Florence Packard, Topeka Kansas, 
September 22, 1898. 

4. Virginia Justine Campdoras bora September 6, 1864, 



124 THE READER FAMILY. 

who married Albert C. Root, of Topeka, Kansas December 
24, 1889, to whom was born one child, Irving C. Root May 
21, 1891. 

5. Grace R. Campdoras born Jnne 14, 18G6. 

G. Velleda M. Campdoras born December 1, 18G7. 

7. Irene M. Campdoras born May 24, 1873. 

Dr. Campdoras died April G, 1881. 

Dr. M. A. Campdoras was a native of Thuir, France, 
and served as surgeon in the French navy from 1845 to 
December 1851, and came to this country in the spring of 
1852, and to Topelia March 1855. After Louis Napoleon's 
"coup de etat" December 2, 1851, Dr. Campdoras left the 
French navy, and served as colonel of an Insurgent regi- 
ment against the regular troops, in the Department of the 
Yar. After the defeat and dispersion of the "patriot upris- 
ing," he was exiled; but was afterwards pensioned by the 
present French Republic. In the spring of 18G2 he was 
appointed Assistant Surgeon of the Second Regiment Indian 
Home Guards, "Army of the Frontier" under General 
Blunt. He was wounded at the battle of Cane Hill Noveni- 
l)er 28, 18G2, and resigned October 18G3, on account of ill 
health. 

S. J. READER-SMITH. 

Samuel .T. Reader was married to Elizabeth Ellen 
Smith. La Harpe, 111., December i7, 18G7. Children: Ruth 
Reader l)orn September 25, 18G8, died April 29, 1885, Eliza- 
beth Reader born October 9, 1871, Frederick A. Reader 
born January 19, 1873, died August 6, 1873. The mother 
died March 30, 1898. 

Samuel J. Reader was a private in Co. G., Second regi- 



FRANCIS READER. 125 



ment "Kansas Free State Army," during the "Border 
Rufflan War." 

He joined the company July 29, 1856, and marched with 
it to Xemeha Falls, Neb., when it met the first Free State 
emigrant train that came into Kansas through Nebraska. 
Old John Brown, of Ossawatomie, was with Co. G., at and 
beyond the Nebraska line, and assisted and encouraged its 
members by his presence and advice. The name of the 
captain of Co. G. was Aaron D. Stevens. He went to Har- 
per's Ferry with John Brown in 1859, and was executed 
March Ki, 18(JU. 

September 13, 185G, S. J. Reader participated in the 
battle of Hickory Point, Kansas, under Capt. Wm. Creitz, 
General James H. Lane commanding, and the next day 
returned home, his services being no longer required. 

During the Civil War, Co. D. Second regiment Kansas 
State Militia was organized August 25, 1863, of which Mr. 
Reader was elected Second Lieutenant. He was promoted 
to Regimental Quartermaster November 4, 1863. The regi- 
ment was called into active service October 10, 1864, and 
served under General S. R. Curtis in Missouri. In making a 
reconuoisance October 22, a battalion of the regiment 275 
strong, struck the flank of the advancing Confederates, near 
the Big Blue river, Mo. A desperate engagement ensued, 
when the Confederates gained the victocy. The Second fell 
back across the Big Blue, losing a brass 24 pounder 
howitzer, 24 men killed, 20 wounded and 74 captured, Mr. 
Reader being among the latter. After a forced march of 
three days he escaped from the Confederate guards, while 
crossing the Marmiton river in Missouri, in the night, Octo- 



126 THE READER FAMILY. 

ber 2oth, and reached Kansas and the Union foi-ces the 
next day at noon. The regiment was discharged from 
active service October 30, 1864, his discharge papers being 
dated at the Adjutant General's office, Topeka, Kansas, 
December 6, 1865. 



CHAPTER VI. 



Francis Reader-Eleanor B. Smith, 



Francis Reader married Eleanor Bentley Smith, daugh- 
ter of James A. Smith, January 10, 1842, and had the fol- 
lowing children: 

1. PYancis Smith Reader born November 17, 1842. 

2. Martha White Reader born October 22, 1844. 

3. Eleanor M. Reader born October 5, 1846. 

They were all born in Greenfield, where the mother died 
February 8, 1847. 

READER-MORGAN. 

Martha W. Reader and William F. Morgan, were mar- 
ried December 25, 1867. 

Mr. Morgan was born April 12, 1843, in Elizabeth, Alle- 
gheny county, Pa., the eldest of six children of Benjamin 
F. and Martha Tower Morgan, and was a grandson of Mor- 
gan D. Morgan, a native of Glamorganshire, Wales, who 
came to Pittsburg, Pa., in 1814, where he devoted his time 
to teaching school and blacksmithing, until he died in 1856. 

Benjamin F. Morgan, father of William F., was born 
April 5, 1824, in Pittsburg, Pa., where he lived until 1873, 
when he moved to Bellaire, O., where he died October 5, 



128 THE READER FAMILY. 

1889. He was a luau of piety, and served for twenty years 
as elder in the First Presbyterian church, South Side, Pitts- 
burg. On July 4, 1S(;1, he volunteered in the G2d regiment 
of Pa. Volunteers, Col. Samuel Black, and was discharged 
August 8, 18G4, having taken pail in every battle in which 
his regiment was engaged. His occupation was glass cutter. 

William F. Morgan's maternal grandfather was Edward 
Tower, a prominent teacher in the Monongahela valley, who 
was a native of Pennsylvania, and married Martha Cook, 
grand-daughter of Col. Edward Cook, one of the most 
prominent men of his day in Western Pennsylvania. 

Col. Cook was born in Franklin county, Pa., in 1741, and 
married Martha Crawford there, removing to what is now 
Fayette county, Pa., in 1770. They had one child, .Tames 
Cook, born August 13, 1772, in the Cook homestead back 
of the present Fayette City. .Tames married Mary Bell, 
who came from Ireland, and they had five sous and one 
daughter, Martha, who became the wife of Edward Tower. 

Col. Edward Cook was a member of the committee of 
conference which met in Carpenter's Hall in 1776, and also 
a member of the Constitutional Convention held that year. 
He was prominent during the War of the Revolution, and 
commanded the Rangers for frontier defense in 1781. He 
was Sub-Lieutenant of Westmorehxnd county in 1780, and 
Lieutenant of the county in 1782, having command of all 
the militia of the county with the rank of colonel. On 
November 21, 1780, he was appointed a Justice with juris- 
diction, including Washington county, and August 17, 1791, 
was appointed Associate Judge of Fayette county. In 
1796-8 he was treasurer of Westmoreland county. During 



FRANCIS READER. 129 



the Whiskey Insurrection he was very prominent in the 
movement against the excise laws, serving on several com- 
mittees and very active in every operation. After it was 
all over he received amnesty, and was honored, and 
retained his high standing with the people. He purchased 
three thousand acres of land fronting on the Monongahela 
river, and extending back of Fayette City, which place he 
founded as Cookstown, and built on an eminence on the 
beautiful tract, in 1772, the stone house yet standing and 
occupied, which was the family homestead, and from which 
nearly all his land could be seen. Rehobeth Presbyterian 
church was built on his land, of which he was an original 
elder, and in the 'beautiful cemetery of the church, he and 
his wife now rest. He was a man of piety and honor, 
greatly loved and respected. He died November 27, 1808, 
and his wife April 20, 1837. 

William F. Morgan was educated in the public and high 
school of Pittsburg, which he left at the age of 18, to enter 
the Union service in the Civil War. He responded to the 
first call for 75,000 volunteers in April 1861, and served in 
the (;2d Pa. Vols, until March 25, 1803, and re-enlisted 
August 9, 1803, in a Pennsylvania battery of light artillery, 
in which he served until the close of the war. He took 
part in the battles of Williamsburg, Hanover C. H., 
Mechanicsville, Gaines' Mill, Seven Days Fight, and the 
siege of Yorktown. He was on guard in Washington, D. 
C, when President Lincoln was assassinated, and was one 
of the guard of honor that accompanied the remains from 
the White House to the Capitol, where they lay in state. 

After the war he followed glass cutting in Pittsburg 



130 THE READER FAMILY. 

until 1873, and then moved to Belle Vernon, Pa., where he 
continued it until 1889, when he eml)arked in the mercan- 
tile business. He was captain of a company of Pennsyl- 
vania militia at F.elle Vernon, and is a prominent member 
of the G. A. R. He is an elder in the Presbyterian church, 
and an active and earnest worker in the cause of Cliris- 
tianity. in the church and Sunday School, and wherever 
duty calls. His wife is a member of the same church. 
Their home is at Belle Vernon, Pa. ^ 

They have had the following children: 

Harry Reader Morgan, born January 11. 1800, married 
Mrs. Grace Davis August 23, 1803. They had two children, 
Silas born July 1(>, 1804, who died July 10, 1805, and Edgar 
AVallace born August 22, 1001. 

2. Frank A. ^uorgan born March 28. 1871, married Miss 
Florence Springer August 20, lOOo. and have one child. 
Eugene Francis 3Iorgan born October 7, 1001. 

3. Pearl A. Morgan born August 0, 1874, married Frank 
E. Pelton, court stenographer, Pittsburg, Pa., August 8, 
1001. 

4. Kate E. Morgan l>orn May 18, 1870. 

5. Mary Eleanor Morgan born April 29. 1885. 

0. Grace Helen Morgan born ]May 3i. 1887, died April 
17, 1891. 

READEK-HERTZOG. 

Eleanor M. Reader and Oliver Gans Hertzog were mar- 
ried October 28, 1869. 

Mr. Hertzog was born in Springhill township, Fayette 
county. Pa., April 9, 1844. His ancestors on his father's side 
r-ame from Holland some time before the Revolutionary 



FRANCIS READER. 131 



war and settled at Hagerstown, Md., where his grand- 
father John Hertzog was born in 1778. His grandmother's 
name was Margaret Horn, who was born in Fayette county, 
Pa., in 1770. and married Mr. Barchinal in 1701. by whom 
she liad Ave children, three sons and two daughters. After 
the death of her husband in the year 1810. she was married 
to John Hertzog, and to this union was born one son, 
Andrew Hertzog, father of the subject of this sketch. 

On his mother's side he traces his ancestry back to 
George Baltzer Gaus, who came with his wife from 
Swartzenan, Germany, in 1711), and located near Philadel- 
phia. Tradition assigns to him the position oi chamberlain 
to the King; while his wife was a lady in waiting upon the 
Queen. Their coat of arms was a goose in a circle. All the 
Gauses were originally Tankers or German Baptists, who 
taught the doctrine of non-resistance. Mr. Hertzog's grand- 
father. George Gans, was grandson of George Baltzer Gans, 
and was the seventh son of Jacob Gans with no intervening- 
girls and was known as "Seventh Son Doctor." He was 
said to be one of the best of men and an earnest Christian. 
He was born in Fayette county, Pa., and married Hannah 
Larsh in 18QS, a "sweet singer," whose grandmother had 
been rescued as a captive from the Indians. His mother 
Susan Gans, was the second child of this union and was 
l)orn in 1811, the same year as his father . 

Andrew Hertzog and Susan Gans were married Decem- 
ber 27, 1S32, and lived in the same community during their 
entire lives. To them were born eleven children, of whom 
Oliver G. was the youn'gest son. While reared on a farm 
he learned the carpenter's trade, attending school in the 



132 THE READER FAMILY. 

winter. He began teaching at the age of twenty, and was 
educated at the State Normal School, California, Pa., and 
Bethany College, West Virginia, making his own way 
through school. 

He was baptized into the Baptist church at the age of 
sixteen, united with the Disciples of Christ at twenty 
one, and entered upon the work of the ministry at twenty- 
five, with the old Pigeon Creek Church of Christ, Washing- 
ton county. Pa. His labors during the eighteen months he 
served that church, were extended to other localities and 
through forces he set in motion, more than three hundred 
persons were baptized. October 1870 he ))egau a successful 
work at Niagara Falls, N. Y., building up a good church 
there, and planting one at Pekin of nearly one hundred 
members, besides conducting a successful meeting in 
Buffalo. N. Y^. In January 1874 he took charge of the 
Avork in Buffalo, paying oft' the debts of the church, and in 
two years making it a good self sustaining church, besides 
I'.olding meetings in Selkirk, Canada, that addea ninety to 
the church there. Januai'y 1876 at the earnest solicitation of 
the Welling Cooperation of Canada, he entered upon evan- 
gelistic work in the province of Ontario, where he remained 
four years, planting in all eight new churches and 
strengthening several old ones. 

Much worn out he returned to his home at Niagara 
Falls, N. Y., where he gathered up and rallied the forces 
of the church, and planted a church at Fredonia, N. Y. 
During this time he was tendered the position of special 
agent of the U. S. Treasury for the Niagara District, which 
he accepted and served for four and one half years, supply- 



FRANCIS READER. 133 



iny cliiirclies on Sundays, and preaching as opportunity pre- 
sented itself. He retired from tliis office January 1885, and 
accepted tlie position of corresponding secretary of tlie New 
Yorlv Clu'istian Missionary Society. Under liis administra- 
tion the churches were planted at Wellsville and Roches- 
ter, and excellent houses of worship built at each place. 
Four and one half years were devoted exclusively to the 
Rochester work. A general revival of interest was found in 
nearly all the churches of the state, new houses of worship 
were built in Troy, Buffalo and Tonawanda, and new 
churches organized in all these cities, growing largely out 
of the interest created in the new church at Rochester. 

At the earnest solicitation of the president and board 
of trustees of Hiram College, Ohio, he accepted the position 
of financial secretary of the college September 1, 1891, and 
during the nine years he has served in that capacity, he and 
President ZoUars have added to the endowment nearly 
three hundred thousand dollars, built the Christian Associa- 
tion and other buildings at an aggregate cost of fully forty 
thousand dollars, besides adding several new departments 
and augmenting the attendance. 

The home of Mr. and Mrs. Hertzog is at Hiram, the seat 
of the college. 

They have had the following cliildren: 

1. Frances Hertzog born April 1, 1871, married Dr. 
Elliott I. Osgood July 14. 1808. They went as missionaries 
to China, where there was born to them a son, Riussell 
Osgood, June 4, 1899. 

2. Fred Reader Hertzog born October 17, 1872, was 
graduated from Case School of Applied Science June 1896. 



134 THE READER FA]SriLY. 

He began Avork with the Buffalo, Rochester and Pittsburg 
R. R., at Rochester, N. Y., where he remained until May 
1890, when he accepted the position of draughtsman with 
Siemen & Halsl^e Electric Co., Chicago. In 1900 he 
accepted a similar position with the Brown Hoisting 
Machinerjf Co., of Cleveland, and was promoted to position 
of Squad Chief. In November the same year he accepted 
the position of Chief Engineer with Tate, Jones & Co., 
Pittsburg, Pa. 

3. Eleanor May Hertzog born May 23, 1878, died 
August 4, 1878. 

4. Oliver Russell Hertzog born June 4, 1884, now a stu- 
dent at Hiram College. 

5. Carl Willard Hertzog born May 14, 1887, died July 
28, 1887. 

All the children were born in Niagara Falls, N. Y., and 
the two that died are buried in the beautiful cemetery there. 

READER-DARLING. 

Francis S. Reader was born and reared in Greenfield, 
living for a time with relatives in Union township, where 
he learned to love and till the soil. He worked at the 
carpenter ti'ade in Greenfield, and was assistant postmaster 
when the Civil War broke out, when he enlisted April 27, 
1801. See sketch of services later. He attended public 
school during the winter, in the Pollock school house, Union 
township and in (ireenfield. and at a latei' period was a 
student for some time at Mount Union College, Ohio. Upon 
his return from the army in 18()4, he taught school in 
Greenfield, and the next spring completed a course in Iron 
City College, Pittsburg, Pa. July 1805 he was tendered a 



FRANCIS READER. 135 

positiou in the office of Hon. David Sanliey, collector of 
iuterual revenue. New Castle, Pa., wliicli lie accepted, and 
continued in this service at different times for over ten 
years, being chief deputy collector of the district for eight 
years, and acting collector for several months. While at 
New Castle he sat at the same desk with Ira D. Sankey, 
the singing evangelist, and they became close and life long 
friends. 

He joined the M. B. church at New Castle December 
15, 18G5, and in March 1868 was appointed preacher in 
charge of a circuit of nine appointments, in the North 
INIisso'uri Confei-ence M. E. church, but owing to the failure 
of his voice, was compelled to retire after one year's service. 
He has been an official member of the church for over 32 
years, and Sunday School superintendent for 25 years. He 
is a member of the Historical Society of Washington 
county. Pa., Edwin M. Stanton Post No. 208 Grand Army 
of the RepuDlic of Pennsylvania, and the Pennsylvania 
Societ.y Sons of the American Revolution. 

May 22, 1874, he and Major David Critchlow, of the 
100th Pa. Volunteers, established the Beaver Valley News, 
a weekly newspaper at New Brighton, Pa., and January 1, 
1877. he bought the Major's interest, starting the Daily 
News February 4. 1883, the first daily paper in Beaver 
county, Pa. He admitted his son, Willard S. Reader, as a 
partner September 28. 1802, who has filled the position of 
city editor since that time. 

He is a Republican in politics, serving for several years 
as a member and secretary of the Republican county com- 
mittee of Beaver county. Pa. While in this office in 1878, 



136 THE READER FAMILY. 

he prepared and presented to the legislature of the State, 
the first law enacted im Pennsylvania for the government 
of primary elections; was alternate to the Chicago Conven- 
tion that nominated Hon. James G. Blaine for president iu 
1884, served in the school board and council of New Brigh- 
ton. Pa., and held other positions of trust, but never 
solicited auiy public position. He was secretary for several 
years of building and loan associations, and is a director in 
the American Porcelain coiupany, for the manufacture of 
porcelain ware, in New Brighton, Pa. 

He is the author of a life of Moody and Sankey, the 
great Evangelists; the history of the Fifth West Virginia 
Cavalry; history of New Brighton, Pa., and of historical 
sketches of the Harmony Society, Economy, Pa., and of 
the Beaver Valley, in which he lives. 

Francis S. Reader and Merran F. Darling were united 
in marriage Deeemiber 24, 1807, at New Brighton, Pa. She 
is a member of the Presbyterian church, the Benevolent 
Society, and the Woman's Club, New Brighton, Pa. Her 
parents were Joseph Quint Darling, and Rebecca Cobb 
Darling, both descendants of old New England families. 

Mr. Darling was born at Orford, New Hampshire, iu 
1806, son of Josiah and Mary Quint Darling. In both these 
old families there were Revolutionary soldiers, Mr. Darl- 
ing's grandfather being one of them. The Darlings seem 
to have had their origin in that state at Sanhorton, and 
were living there before the Revolution, but the records do 
not show when they settled there, or the history of the 
family back of Josiah Darling. 

The Quints evidently were among the early settlers of 



FRANCIS READER. 137 



New Hampsliire, and what history is obtainable of them, 
shows the family to have been an enterprising and progres- 
sive class of people, whose descendants had considerable 
prominence in that section. One .John Quint was a scout 
against the French in Capt. Westbrook's company in 1712, 
in the Colonial service. .Joseph Quint was in Capt. David 
Jewett's company in Col. Thomas Ballet's regiment for the 
defense of West Point in 1780. This same Joseph appeared 
in Alton, N. H.. in 1788, as signer of a petition for the incor- 
poration of the town. Thomas Quint was in Col. George 
Reid's regiment for the defence of Fort Washington and in 
other services. This or another Thomas Quint appears in 
Capt. Carr's company in the expedition to Rhode Island in 
1777, then said to be 19 years old, and boi'u in Portsmouth, 
N. H. William Quint was at Kittery Point near Ports- 
mouth in 1775. These were all in the Revolutionary war. 
The families were found in Poa'tsmouth and Dover, and the 
family directly concerned in this sketch was from Ports- 
mouth. 

Benjamin Quint was the head of the family that went 
from Portsmouth to Orford, N. H., but the year is not 
known, though it was shortly after the Revolution. On 
July 11, 1788, Benjamin Quint purchased the west half of 
100 acre lot No. 5 in the town, from Samuel Morey, clerk 
for the proprietors of Orford, and he was one of the tirst 
settlers in the town. He died there April 21, 1822, aged 90 
years. There was an addition to this town called Quint- 
town, doubtless from the large amount of land held there by 
the several families. Joseph Quint, no doubt the same 
that was at Alton in 1788, began to buy lands at Orford 



138 THE READER FAMILY. 

April 10, 1798, and by the year 1810, he had at least 200 
acres. Land ^yas also held by Thomas Quint, Benjamin 
Quint, Jr., and George Quint, all of the same family. A 
number of tlie descendants of the Quints yet live in Orford 
and other pai-ts of New England, and there are many of the 
Darlings in the state. 

Josiah and Mary Quint Darling had the following chil- 
dren: Polly wife of Harrison Dee, Hannah wife of Peter 
Parker, Robert, Franklin, William and Joseph Quint Darl- 
ing. Mrs. Darling died April 20, 1822, about which time 
her son Joseph Q., was thrown on his own resources and 
started in the world for himself. Before her death the 
family moved to Vermont, and in later years all the chil- 
dren moved west, Joseph Q., with liis brother, William, 
going to Chautauqua county, N. Y., in 1834. He was a 
lumberman there, and followed that business and oper- 
ating saw mills and farming, most of his life. 

Rebecca Cobb came also of old New England families, 
that came to America long before the Revolution. Tlie 
Cobbs settled in Boston. Massachusetts, wliere her great 
grandfatlier, Isaac Cobb, was born in 1700. They followed 
the occupation of seameui, and after the removal of the 
family to Gerry, Chautauqua county, N. Y., he Ava:^ captain 
of a boat on the great lakes called the Henry Clay. Isaac 
Cobb maiTied Delia Knowles ini Massachusetts, and had 
the following children: Isaac Cobb married Lydia Hill, 
Freeman Cobb married Rebecca Buekleu, Roland Cobb 
married Eliza Butts, Barrett Cobb unmarried, John Cobb 
married Elsa Pierce, Hannah Cobb married Seth Alger, 
Pollv Col)b married William Mellen. Julia Cobb married 



FRANCIS READER. 139 



Amos Barmor, Adaline Cobb married William Brown, Dor-" 
mida Col)b married Samuel Horton. 

Rebecca Cobb was the daugliter of Freeman and 
Rebecca Bueklen Cobb, tbe latter having the following 
children: Isaac, Mahala, Martha, Freeman, Delia, Eliza, 
Johui, Rebecca, Helen, Grant. 

The Bucklens, an old New England family, moved to 
Chautauqua county, N. Y., in June 1817, and settled "Buek- 
len's Corners," now known as Gerry. They had the fol- 
lowing children: Willard, Lovell, James, Patty, Betsy, 
Sophia, Rebecca and Gracia. Rebecca was the wife of 
Freeman Cobb. Roland Cobb entered the ministry and 
Willard Bueklen became a lawyer. 

Joseph Q. Darling and Rebecca Cobb were married in 
Chautauqua county, N. Y., in 1845, and had four children, 
two dying in infancy Merrau F. Darling was born Sep- 
tember 28, 1846, in Chautauqua county, N. Y., after which 
the family moved to New Brighton, Fa., whei'e Josei>h Free- 
man Darling was born in 1848. 

Francis S. and Merran D. Reader, had two sons: 

I. Frank Eugene Reader was born December 15, 1868. 
He attended the public school New Brighton, Geneva Col- 
lege, Beaver Falls, Pa., and in October 1885, entered Johns 
Hopkins University, Baltimore, Md., where he pursued the 
undergraduate course, and was graduated June 1888, with 
the degree of B. A. He registered in the law office of Major 
A. M. Brown and John S. Lambie, Pittsburg, Pa., in 1889, 
and was admitted to practice in the Allegheny county 
courts September 1891, and the Beaver county courts Octo- 
ber 1891. Later he was admitted to the Supreme and 



140 THE READER FAMILY. 

Superior courts of Pennsylvania. He became a member 
of the law firm of Moore, Moore & Reader in 1892, and 
was elected solicitor of the Beaver County Building and 
Loan Association the same year. In April 1887 he retired 
from the firm and opened an office in his own name in New 
Brighton. He was attorney for the borough of New Brigh- 
ton one year. He is a member of the Historical Society 
of Beaver county, Pa., and of the Pennsylvania Society 
Sons of the American Revolution. 

He was united in marriage witli Jennie B. Nesbit June 
3, 1890, and have two daughters, Dorothy Nesbit Reader 
born May 8, 1897, and Merran Ethel Reader born February, 
17, 19(XJ. They are members of Grace M. E. church. New 
Brighton, Pa. 

Mrs. Reader is the daughter of Rev. Samuel H. Nesliit, 
D. D., and Lida J. Mooi'e, daughter of Rev. James Moore, 
Belmont county, Ohio. Their children were: William M. 
Nesbit married Sarah Elliott and had two children, all 
deceased. Sue Nesbit died 1896, May Nesbit married John 
S. Craig, of the firm of Riter and Conley, Pittsburg, and 
have two children, Ethel May and Samuel Nesbit, James 
Nesbit died in 1887, Gertrude Nesbit married Rev. Harry 
S. Free, of the Pittsburg Conference M. E. church in 1892, 
and had one daughter, Margaret, who makes her home with 
Mr. and Mrs. Craig, Rev. Free dying in 1896, and Mrs. Free 
1898, Jennie B. Nesbit, and four children died young. 

Dr. Nesbit was of Scotch-Irish descent, his parents 
coming to this country from the north of Ireland when 
young, and were married in 1811. He was born in Butler 
county. Pa., September 30, 1821, was a nailer by trade, was 



FRANCIS READER. 141 



converted in 1842, and entered Allegheny College, Pa., in 
1845, to prepare for the ministry. November 3, 1843, he 
was licensed as a local preacher and was received on trial 
in the Pittsburg Conference M. E. church in 1847. He was 
principal of Wellsburg, Va., Female Seminary 1853-5; 
president of Richmond College 1857-8; elected editor of the 
Pittsburg Christian Advocate, which office he filled with 
great ability from 18G0 to 1872; was presiding elder two 
terms, and afterward served as pastor at Monongahela 
City, Butler and New BrightoQ, Pa., dying at the latter 
place April 5, 1891. Dr. Nesbit was one of the ablest 
preachers of his Conference, a writer of great ability, and a 
ti-ue man in every relation of life. 

II. Willard Stanton Reader was born September 28, 
1871. He attended public school New Brighton, and Geneva 
College, Beaver Falls, Pa. He entered the office of the 
Beaver Valley News as apprentice in 188G, and assumed 
the duties of reporter in 1888. He was admitted to partner- 
ship in the paper September 28, 1892, and since then has 
been city editor of the paper, and assists in its manage- 
ment. He wrote considerably for city papers for some 
years; was secretary of the Board of Health for some time, 
and one of the directors of the American Porcelain com- 
pany for two years, but retired from all outside work to 
give his undivided attention to the management of the 
news columns of the paper. He is a member of the Penn- 
sylvania Society Sons of the American Revolution. 

He was united in marriage with Lily D. Robinson 
March 1, 1897. Both are members of the Methodist Pro- 
testant church, New Brighton, Pa. They have two children, 



142 THE READER FAMILY. 



Willard Donald Reader born December 20, 1897, and Robert 
Wallace Reader born December 13, 1901. 

Mrs. Reader is the daughter of Thomas Robinson and 
Mary J. Lynch, both dead. Mr. Robinson served as a 
soldier in the Civil War. His ancestors settled early in the 
eastei'n part of Pennsylvania, where he was born. His 
mother was named Edwards, sister of John Edwards, of 
Lawrence county, a family of strong character, one of the 
latter's daughters mari-ying Ira D. Sankey. Mrs. Robinson 
was of Scotch-Irish descent, whose ancestors came from 
the north of Ireland to this country in 1780, settling in 
Cumberland county, Pa. 

Mr. and Mrs. Robinson had live childreiii: Lily D. Robin- 
son born in 1875, Ira Robinson born in 1878 and clerk in the 
Union Drawn Steel Co., Beaver Falls, Pa., and David, 
Andrew and ,Tohn dead. 

MILIT.\RY HISTORY. 

On Sunday April 14, 1861, following the firing on Fort 
Sumpter, Francis S. Reader united with his neighboi's in 
the formation of a company of volunteers, being one of the 
first to enlist, which was fully organized April 27. 1861, and 
its services offered to the Governor of Pennsylvania. Being 
unable to get into the service of Pennsylvania on account 
of its quota being full, the company drilled regularly at 
home at its own expense until July, when at the request of 
Governor F. H. Pierpont of reorganized Virginia, it entered, 
the service of that state July 9, being sworn into the U. S. 
Volunteer Army July 10, 1861, for three years, after- 
wards being paid from Apx-il 27, the date of enlistment. 
This was among the first, if not the first, of the three years' 



FRANCIS READER. 143 



companies enlisted in Washington county, Penna., and tlie 
lirst three years' regiment in Virginia, mustered under 
Governor Pierpont. The company went into camp at 
Wheeling, Vii-ginia, where it remained until July 22, and 
then went to Beverly, Virginia, where it was assigned as 
Companj^ I Second Regiment Virginia Infantry. 

Of the regiment, companies A, D, F and G wei*e from 
Pittsburg, Pa., company I from Greenfield, Pa., company 
H from Ironton, O., company B from Grafton, Va., com- 
pany C from Wheeling, Va., company E from Ohio and Vir- 
ginia, and company K from Parkersburg, Va. 

Company A has the credit of killing the first armed Con- 
federate soldier of the war. Captain Christian Roberts, at 
Glover's Gap, Va., May 27, 18Gl,and company B of losing the 
first enlisted man of the war dn the U. S. service, Bailey 
Brown, who was shot near Grafton, Va., May 22, 18G1, by 

D. W. S. Knight, of company A 25th Virginia Confederate 
regiment. Brown was not mustered in, but would have 
been May 25, and his death preceded that of Colonel Ells- 
worth two days. Company B was in the battles of Phillipi. 
Laurel Hill and Carrick's Ford, Western Virginia, General 
Garnett being killed at the latter place July 13, the first 
Confederate General officer to lose his life. 

The regiment remained at Beverly, Va., until Septem- 
ber 12, when it was ordered to Elkwater to help General 
Reynolds resist the attack of Confederate General Robert 

E. Lee, who was threatening Cheat Mountain and Elk- 
water: and the regiment has the credit of leading in the 
charge over the foothills, that resulted in the repulse and 
withdi-awal of this great general, his first defeat. On 



144 THE READER FAMILY. 

December 13, a part of the regiment engagecl in tlie battle 
of Allegheny Mountain, and soon after the regiment was 
sent to Cheat Mountain summit, the only Federal troops in 
that section, where it remained behind the breastworks for 
three months, the highest camp of the war, in plain view 
of the Confederates, who were but a few miles distant 
on the summit of the Alleghenies. 

April 5, 1SG2, the regiment left Cheat Mountain, becom- 
ing a part of the brigade of Brig. Gen. Robert H. Milroy, 
and of tlie "Mountain Department" under command of Maj. 
Gen. John C. Fremont. The advance southward was 
attended with considerable fighting, especially at Monterey 
and McDowell, and was completed by the campaign in the 
Shenandoah valley agiainst the Confederate General T. J. 
(Stonewall) Jackson, resulting in the battles of Ci'oss Keys 
and Port Republic, June 8 and 9, 18(52, in which expedition 
Gen. Fremont's command marched 200 miles in 115 hours of 
marching, was for six weeks without tents or shelter of 
any kind, and for more than a month on short rations. 

June 20, General Milroy's brigade becailie a part of the 
"Army of Virginia" under command of Maj. Gen. John 
Pope, and took part in the battles of Kelly's Ford, Sulphur 
Springs, ^Vaterloo Bridge, the Second Battle of Bull Run, 
and the other smaller engagements of that campaign. Sep- 
tember 30 the brigade returned to Western Virginia, the 
Second Virginia regiment going into winter quarters at 
Beverly, where it was attacked by a superior force April 
24, 1803, and after a brisk fight had to retreat, meeting the 
Coiiifedei-ates again at West Union, returning to Beverly 
May 0, remaining there until June 15, and then going to 



FRANCIS READER. 145 



Graftou, Va., to be mounted, becoming a part of the Inde- 
pendent cavalry brigade of Brig. Gen. W. W. Averell. The 
liorses were received June 21, 1863, and later tbe regiment 
was designated as the Fifth West Virginia Cavah-y. 

At this time F. S. Reader was offered promotion but 
declined it, as the acceptance involved the reduction in rank 
of a friend and comrade, and remained a private .soldier 
until mustered out. When the brigade was organized he 
was detailed from his company for special duty at the 
head<iuarters of General Averell. During the battle of 
Gettysburg he was with the headquarters when General 
Averell and part of his brigade were huiTied to the front, 
and joined in the attacli on General Lee's right wing as he 
retreated, rendering good service. After this the brigade 
was united and entered upon a most Ijrilliant campaign in 
the mountains of West Virginia. 

The first contest with the Confederates was at Rocky 
Gap, August 2(5 and 27, General Averell's forces falling 
back after a fight of two days. This was followed by the 
battle of Droop Mountain November G, 1863, a brilliant 
victory for General Averell's brigade. December 8 they 
went on the famous Salem raid, one of the most brilliant 
and skillfully executed of the war, resulting in a magni- 
ficent victory for Averell's brigade. He was with his regi- 
ment in all its campaigns to this time except Allegheny 
Mountain and the Salem raid. 

In the spring of 1864 he was assigned to Maj. Gen. 
Franz Sigel's headquartex's, and was with the General and 
his staff in his campaign in the Shenandoah valley, closing 
with the battle of New Market May 14, 1864, General 



146 THE READER FAMILY. 



Sijit'l's forces being defeated. He was transferred to Maj. 
Hen. David H. Hunter's headquarters, wlio was appointed 
to tliis command May 21, and liis duties were in the Assist- 
ant Provost Marshal's department. When in battle, he was 
with the General and his staff, ready to assist wherever 
needed. General Hunter advanced toward Staunton, Va., 
and on .Tune 5 fough.t the battle of Piedmont in the Luray 
valley, winning a decisive victory. The advance was con- 
tinued and Staunton was captured, being the first Federal 
troops "to enter the city. The command then advanced to 
Lexington, Va., without fiu'ther fighting, the expedition 
closing with the l)attle at Lynchburg, Va., and the retire- 
ment of General Hunter's command. In addition to the 
campaigns and battles named, the regiment was almost 
constantly scouting, breaking up predatory bands, and 
holding the advance for two years in Western Virginia. 
The regiment had in all, including recruits, 1,009 officers 
and men and lost by death in l)attle, in prison and by 
disease, 189 men, and hundreds of wounded. 

ESCAPE FROM PRISON. 

Before reaching Lyncliburg, a few men whose term of 
service was al)out to expire, were detailed to take the 
advance of the troops placed in command of the wagon 
train, ordered bacK to the Kanawha valley. In this detail 
were : 

Martin V. Sweet, First New York Lincoln Cavalry. 

Joseph H. Anderson, First New Jersey Cavalry. 

Horace Penniman, First Maryland Infantry. 
y Francis S. Reader, Fifth West Virginia Cavaliy. 

The advance had considerable fighting with small 



FRANCIS READER. 



147 



parties of Confederates, and when near Lewisburg on the 
Kanawha river, while about a mile ahead of the main 
column, were cut off from the command, the latter being- 
engaged by a body of Confederates; they were driven into 
the mountains near Greenbrier White Sulphur Springs, and 




M. V. SWEET. J. H. ANDERSON. 

H. PENNIMAN. F. S. READER 

(Photographs taken in 1865). 



on June 20 were captured by a company of Confederate 
cavalry. They were taken to Covington, Va., and i)ut in 
jail, and a few days later to Lexington, Va., and first put 
in a room above a storehouse and then in the jail, and soon 
afterward moved to Lynchburg. Va., arriving there July 1. 



/ 



148 THE READER FAMILY. 

They were placed in an old tobacco warehouse on the canal, 
and rimioved July 3 to another warehouse in the central 
part of the city, where about TOO prisoners were confined. 
Six attempts were made by the party of four comrades to 
escape from this prison, but each was foiled by extra 
yuards. and it was here that they determined that they 
would never permit themselves to be taken to Anderson- 
ville prison, understood to be their destination. 

On July 19, five hundred of the prisoners were counted 
out to be taken to Anderson ville. were put aboard a train 
and reached Burkesville Junction about G o'clock that 
evening, where they were unloaded to await a train from 
liichmond. The train soon arrived, made up of box cars, 
with a I;irge door on each side, at each of which two guards 
were stationed. Tlie four comrades here made their arrange- 
ments to escape from this train, the place about twenty 
miles south. They had a small map of Virginia from which 
they had outlined the course to take, and liad gained con- 
siderable information from the guards who were toild by 
the four that they intended to go home. It was thought 
that a northeast course of about 120 miles' would enable 
them to reach Petersburg, passing through Lunenburg, 
Nottoway and Dinwiddie counties, and through the extreme 
right wing of General Robert E. Lee's grand Confederate 
army. 

Upon entering ihe car tliey found some boards loose on 
the side of the car at the rear end, which they forced 
sufficiently for a man to get through. Their plan was for 
each to take a guard and .lump from the train with him, in 
the hope of overcoming them and escaping, but the hole in 



FRANCIS READER. 149 



the ear offered a safer and easier plan and it was adopted. 
When near Meherrin station, Lunenburg county, Va., about 
twenty miles south of Burkesville Junction, and about 25 
miles southeast of famous Appomattox, they got ready to 
leave the car. Sweet was selected as leader and tirst went 
through the hole, followed by Anderson, then Reader, and 
Penniman brought up the rear, alighting within a few rods 
of each other, in the edge of a woods. It was raining and 
quite darli, and evidently their escape was unobserved. 
They had no idea what direction to take and stood under 
the trees until the rain was over and the clouds passed 
away, and they were able to determine the course to take, 
the North star ueing their guide in the long, weary nights 
of the escape. 

That night they walked probably about eight miles, 
through thick underbrush and briers, and the next day hid 
in the woods, in which two men were at work all day. The 
next night they tramped about six hours, and on the 21st 
rested in a clump of thick bushes. That evening they had 
their tirst meal on the escape, a slave woman giving them 
a supper of corn bread, fried bacon and milk. The slaves 
were faithful friends to the escaping prisoners, helping 
them whenever they could and never betraying them. 
During the night they made but little progress, crossing 
with difficulty the Nottoway river and walking through 
dense woods, camping during the day of the 22d in a clump 
of dwarf oaks. From this time on they were constantly in 
danger of recapture, camps and scouting parties of the 
Confederates seeming to be everywhere. Early in the eve- 
ning Sweet went on the hunt for food, and was rewarded 



150 THE READER FAiMILY. 

by tlie party being taken to a cabin, and there fed by a 
slave woman on corn bread and fried bacon, about the hist 
she had for herself and family. 

They made good pi ogress during the night, and toward 
morning turned aside into an orchard to get some apples 
and were surprised to see a large number of fine horses 
gTazing. This looked suspicious, and they turned to the 
right into a heavy pine forest, where they remained during 
day time of the 23d. When daylight appeared Pennimau 
made a tour of the woods and returned in about an hour, 
stating that he had seeui a slave who told him that they 
were within a mile of a Confederate camp, directly behind 
the orchard the horses were in, near a place called Blacks 
and Whites. During the day they could hear calls of the 
bugle from the camp. When night came this slave joined 
the party and took them to a plantation about two miles 
distant, where he and wife gave them a supper of the best 
food they had. He then acted as guide for them passing 
rapidly away from Blacks and Whites, and left them with 
a number of slaves, one of whom acted as guide for about 
8 miles, when they ran into a Confederate foraging train, 
the guards running into the woods. They were in the midst 
of the park of wagons, the teamsters stretched out asleep 
except one, but he was so busy with his team that he failed 
to see the escaping prisoners, who slipped into the Avoods 
and made good their escape. The guide begged to be 
relieved, and as a reward for his services. Reader gave him 
his vest, the one remaining relic of civilized life in the 
party. 

On the 24th, a heavy rain drove them into a tobacco 



FRANCIS READER. 151 

drying house, about half a mile distant from some liouses. 
After dark Reader went near the houses to find a friendly 
slave, but instead met a white woman of whom he asked 
some questions and retired to the woods, and was not 
followed. They then passed through the woods and reached 
a plantation, and Anderson went toward a house and met a 
slave who informed him that four Confederate officers were 
in the house, and they were near Dinwiddle court house 
where there was a force of Confederate cavalry. They at 
once left the neighborhood, the rain pouring down and 
making walking difficult, and soon reached some cabins in 
which they wai-med their chilled bodies^ by a roaring wood 
fire, and partially dried their clothing. Tliey could get 
nothing to eat. and a black from another plantation asked 
them to go with him and he would get them food, which they 
accepted. After about three miles of a hard walk in the 
woods, they reached a cabin where he built a good fire and 
gave them plenty of corn bread and bacon. After this he 
took them into the woods where they remained dux'ing the 
25th. 

The guide returned in the evening with some food and 
led them a few miles. This night they ran into two 
foraging trains in camp and barely escaped capture. Later 
in the night they were walking along a road, when a body 
of cavalry galloped along aed they had scarcely time to 
get into the woods and hide. They were nearing Dinwiddie 
and great caution was necessary. Turning down over a 
bank they came to Stony Creek, and were alarmed by the 
voices of guards who were guarding the bridge over that 
stream. They left the place and hid in the woods. During 



152 THE READER FAMILY. 

the 2Gtli they were greatly exposed, many persons passing 
close to the place in which they were secreted. After dark 
they crossed Stony Creek and secured a black who gave 
them something to eat, the last food they had except some 
green apples, until they reached General Meade's head- 
quarters. The black guided them around Dinwiddle, 
leaving the garrison in the rear, where he left them. 

They entered a dense woods and toward morning were 
startled by a shrill cry that caused the hair to rise on their 
heads. It was the cry of the wild cat, and in that lonely 
forest it was alarming and especially as they had no 
weapons of defence. It followed them until daylight, 
though no attempt was made to attack them. The next 
night they were followed by it or another one, and then 
this annoyance ceased. 

During the night of the 28th they had one exciting event 
after another. Anderson went to the house of some whites 
and representing himself as a Confederate, learned all 
about the location of the Confederate troops in that vicinity. 
There were tbree camps of cavalry one of which was near 
Reams' Station, the extreme right wing of Lee's army. 
Leaving here they were passing through a swamp when 
they were challenged by Confederate pickets, and had the 
utmost difficulty in avoiding capture, only the darkness and 
the heavy woods saving them. Tramping to reach the 
Weldon railroad they were startled by bugle calls, and 
found themselves in full view of a cavalry camp, the forces 
in motion, and soon were almost in the grasp of the Con- 
federates, but in the confusion again escaped. They 
cautiously moved forward toward the road, now on hands 



FRANCIS READER. 153 

and feet, and again for a few yards on tlioir feet, until they 
heard the rumbliuig of a train, and they lay down in a 
patch of corn until the train had passed them. Then with a 
rush to the road they crossed its tracks and disappeared in 
the darkness of the forest, eluding the guards, and rejoiced 
that deliverance was near at hand. 

The 29th, was the most exciting day so far. They lay 
all day within a short distance of a cavalry camp, whose 
bugle calls grated harshly on their ears. Soldiers were 
close to them all day and a move on their part meant cap- 
ture. Sleep was out of the question and hunger was for- 
gotten. When welcome darkness came they hurried from 
the place, avoiding the guards. Crossing through a dense 
wood they stopped near a house, and Sweet determined to 
have something to eat at the risk of his life. As he entered 
one door of the house a Confederate soldier went out of 
another. The pickets were too close for comfort and they 
continued their weary tramp in the woods. A little further 
along a squad of cavalry compelled them to hunt cover. 
Sooui a house was reached and rhey asked the white 
inmates how far it was to their picket line, representing 
themselves as Confederate soldiers, and learned that the 
pickets of the two armies were watching each other about 
two and one half miles away. They then went into a thick 
part of the woods and camped for the day. They were in 
a good sleep but were awakened early by the thunder of 
the guns at Petersburg. 

The 30th was their deliverance but it was a day of 
doubt and fear. Early in the day they heard a field gun in 
the front of the woods, followed by others growing louder 



(1 H 



154 THE READER FAMILY. 

and louder, and later on the spiteful bark of the carbine 
was heard. Running forward they saw that fighting was 
in progress, and not caring for trouble they followed the 
woods to the right. After walliing for perhaps two miles, 
they came to an open place where they could see the con- 
tending forces in a brislv cavalry fight, one side falling back 
to the woods they had left but could not tell to which army 
they belonged. They went under the cover of some bushes 
to watch, when a company of cavalry galloped down a road 
past them, in the direction of the woods they had left, so 
covered with dust that they could not be recognized. Penni- 
man went near the road to watch for them, and presently 
the company came back, and out of the dust the blue of 
some of the uniforms showed. Jumping to his feet and 
waving his hat, Penniman called out, "Come on boys, thank 
God we are safe." Instantly a score of carbines were 
leveled at them, when they called out to the troops, "don't 
fire, we are escaping Federal soldiers," and every carbine 
fell to its place, and the hungry, weary escaping prisoners 
were safe beneath the authority of the Stars and Stripes. 

They were taken to General Meade's headquarters near 
Petersburg, and bountifully fed and cared for, so much so 
that Reader became very sick, not recovering for some 
months, rendering him unfit for further military service. 
He was then sent to Wheeling, W. Ya., and discharged 
from the service August 9, 1864, dating from July 28, 1864, 
being in active service for three years and eighteen days. 



v^.'Ai^""^' 



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